# Reclaiming My Shower
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reclaiming-my-shower/172253
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 1, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reclaiming-my-shower/172253 "2003-05-01T00:20:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reclaiming-my-shower/172253/1 "2003-05-01T00:20:19Z")
While thinking in my shower (which is probably the only place I do any thinking anymore), I realized that maybe 80-90% of the water I’m using is pretty much clean water that’s just going down the drain and that it’s just a waste, since I have to water my yard and plants.
Is there a way to set up the shower to reclaim the clean (i.e. unsoapy) water and automatically use it to water my lawn and/or plants? If so how?
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reclaiming-my-shower/172253/2 "2003-05-01T00:57:15Z")
I doubt it, but I remember seeing website that suggested catching rain water (from the gutter downspout) for watering your garden. The site had a lot of these water saving ideas.
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### Author:  [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reclaiming-my-shower/172253/3 "2003-05-01T01:12:00Z")
Oh, it’s possible. Try googling graywater for some sites.
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### Author:  [@Agubwa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agubwa)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reclaiming-my-shower/172253/4 "2003-05-01T01:23:27Z")
Yes, graywater systems are worth looking into.
Where I am, I’ve heard of people who just put a 5 gallon bucket under the showerhead / over the drain to catch alot of water, and use it to water lawns / flush the toilet… Same deal with catching rain water.
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### Author:  [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)
#### Post date: [May 1, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reclaiming-my-shower/172253/5 "2003-05-01T02:06:56Z")
Greywater systems are often used by those with septic systems, especially in areas where water gets scarce. The idea is to go easy on your septic tank by feeding it only stuff you already ate (more or less), and diverting other household waste water (bath, shower, sink) to creative purposes like irrigating the petunias.
Or, you can recycle water (only once, please) to be used for toilet flushing.