Collecting excess shower water with a bucket; is it crazy?

UMI?,

What you are doing makes good sense, but if you want to reuse the water outdoors, pull the bucket out of the shower before you enter. The water collected in those first thirty seconds BEFORE you enter the shower is clean, potable water. It's the same thing as if you filled the bucket from the kitchen tap. But, that bucket of water becomes greywater if you leave it in the shower with you and it collects soap, etc. Unfiltered greywater can contain chemicals and bacteria, which is why it should not be used outdoors where it could enter storm drains or the water table...or harm plants.

My wife thinks it's crazy -- when I do the same thing.

it's an excellent idea........coz' I'm doing the same thing!!!!!

It depends. If you are showering in an outdoor shower, the water may travel on land where everyone can see it. But if indoors, it will usually go to the sewage pipe, and be carried to the sewage treatment plant. If your house has a gray water system installed, the shower water will get filtered and go back to use (for toilets, watering plants, etc.).

Using grey water is frowned upon, spreads too many diseases, which is why we send it down the sewer. Don't listen to these crackpots who put it on their gardens, would you like to live next door to an open sewage works?

EDIT: Greywater is bloody horrible stuff, composed of soap, shampoo, hair, bits of facaes, urine, sperm, sweat and skin flakes. (and water!)

this is a good thing, its very environmentally cautious, there needs to be more awesome people like you!

ps-there's a term for this, called greywater! here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greywater

Turning off water when shampooing is normal for any people. Its as common as turning off the tap when brushing teeth.

The bucket collecting is not common with most people (especially Americans). Though the people replying to this question (me included) are pretty environmental, we find it normal. If your partner doesn't have a problem with it (like doesn't ask you to stop) I say go ahead! it'll help lower your bills too.

For the water collection for plant watering, it is ok. Just do not use water that is contaminated by soap or shampoo. Sodium hydroxide is bad for plants. I use my used water for toilet flushing, even though there is a great risk of mosquitoes for this. What you did for the next section is highly recommended for water economy. Not doing so contributes to one of the most extensive water wastage problems facing developed economies.

U r not alone bro. My partner doesn't like it to if i advice her to preserve energy. At times she think i'm nuts too. But i try to educated her on this issue and set an example by doing what i can. I believe,if i can do it, anyone can to right? Is just that we shouldn't be lazy and ashame in practicing it in our own homes . Practice make perfect. I think what your doing is great. U n me have the same thinking. But i do not have a garden. I live in an apartment. Whenever i can store excess water i'll use to flush the toilet. Even sometimes when i drain the washing machine i collect same of the excess water in a bucket to flush the toilet the next time i use it. When in the shower, washing my hair or even brushing my teeth i'll always off the tape if i'm not using it. Why waste the water right? For me the same goes with the electricity we use. Not using it then off it.After all, what we waste now we end up paying for it later. So why waste!