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1. Should special soaps or detergents be used with graywater systems?

To keep your plants healthy, it is best to avoid soap with the following ingredients:

• Alkylbenzene
• Borax
• Boron
• Chlorine or bleach
• Peroxygen
• Petroleum distillate
• Sodium perborate
• Sodium trypochlorite
• "Whiteners", "softeners" and "enzymatic" components

In general, liquid soaps are better than powder soaps. For more information about soaps, see the Harvesting Graywater website.

2. Where can I find more information about graywater?

A good place to start is the Santa Cruz County Planning Department and search for greywater in their custom search tool. Look at the Permit Requirements (PDF) first. 

Professional help: You can also request a professional graywater consultation from a member of the Central Coast Graywater Alliance to help you design your system.