Hydroponics Using

Greywater
-Ananya Kishore
-Aparna H
-John Scott
-Km Satakshi Singh
-Polamuri Naga Satya Bala
-Razik M
WHAT IS HYDROPONICS
● Cultivation of plants in water
● It is the technique for growing plants without soil.
● Plant’s root system is directly exposed to water
and nutrition
● Utilizing this technology, the roots absorb
balanced nutrients dissolved in water that meets
all the plant developmental requirements.
● Many aggregates and media support plant growth
● This system enables rapid growth, stronger yields
and superior quality.
HISTORY
● Became popularized by the news media in the
1920s when a scientist named Dr.William F
Gericke of the university of California when he
put laboratory experiments in plants nutrition on
a commercial scale.
● So he termed these nutriculture systems
Hydroponics.
● Dr William Gericke is known as the father of
Hydroponics
● NASA has done extensive hydroponic research
● The word was derived from the Greek words,
HYDRO (water) , PONOS (labour), literally
“water working”
Headline from The Anniston Star, May 27, 1928
hydroponic gardening at disney's epcot center
ADVANTAGES
● Higher yields achieved in a smaller space and
faster growth rate
● Minimal usage of water
● Nutrients precisely controlled.
● Absolute control over climate
● Soil-borne pests and disease are eliminated.
● Weeds are eliminated
● Plants are healthier and reach maturity faster.
● Automation is possible
Arabidopsis plants appear purple under red and green
light produced by light-emitting diodes. Scientists are
studying plant growth under various light conditions.
Credit: NASA/KSC
 DISADVANTAGES
● Cost of initial investment
● Production is management, capital and labour intensive
● A high level of expertise is required.
● Daily attention is necessary
● Specially formulated, soluble nutrients must always be
used
● Waterborne diseases that infect roots are a common
production issue in hydroponic production. Several
Baby leaf spinach infected with low levels
species of the water mold, Pythium, attack greenhouse of Pythium root rot. Notice slightly
discolored roots. No shoot symptoms are
crops.  evident but overall plant size may be
somewhat reduced
GREYWATER COLLECTION & FILTRATION
INTRODUCTION
• The project was to run the Hydroponics farm using
greywater.
• Greywater includes water from non-toilet plumbing
systems which doesn’t contain fecal matter. It may
contain traces of dirt, food, grease, hair and certain
household cleaning products.
• This greywater should be passed through a filtration
system to remove many of the excess solvents ,
chemicals and other particulate particles.
GREY WATER SOURCES, REQUIREMRNTS AND COLLECTION
• Volume of greywater required for hydroponics is 5-7 liters per m^2 per day or 45-55% of
the total volume of water in circulation per month.
• Greywater cannot be stored for more than 24 hours.
• On average 80L of greywater is produced by an individual per day.
• Small apartments or hostels are more suited as the presence of toxic compounds can be
controlled when the source is traceable and also there will be a separate line to carry the
grey water.
• Greywater could potentially contain pathogens hence contact with untreated greywater
should be minimized. By using a water level sensor inside the storage tank and a valve
controller we can reduce exposure to greywater.
• A primary filter is used to prevent large objects from entering the greywater storage tank
GREY WATER FILTRATION
• Primary filtration : is the removal insoluble contaminants like hair, lint, food particles,
grease ( particles of size 1cm and above)
• Secondary filtration : is the removal of the soluble compounds like detergents, bleach,
soaps, toothpaste and other acidic and basic compounds.( particles of size 10μm- 1cm )
• Tertiary filtration : is to treat the filtered grey water to remove certain chemical
compounds and microorganisms. This process needs to carried out depending on the plant
being grown and the test results from the secondary filter.
PRIMARY FILTRATION
Done to remove particles of size 1cm and above like
food particles, soil etc from entering the greywater
storage tank. The various methods of primary
filtration are:
• Woodchip bio-filter : to trap grease and food
particles. The pores between the woodchips
retains moderately large particles and also absorbs
grease
• Mesh bag filter : grey water is passed through a
coarse mesh which removes moderately large
particles.
SECONDARY FILTRATION
Done to remove the finer particles of the size 10μm- 1cm like hair,
lint, skin, finer dirt particles and other microorganisms .The
various methods of secondary filtration are:
• Sand filter/ Bioretention filter : Made up of a thin layer of
gravel topped off with a much thicker layer of sand within a
container. The primarily filtered greywater is released on the
top of the sand layer.
• Mulched surge tank with constructed wetland : – a wetland is
constructed by isolating a part of soil using a non-permeable
membrane like plastic sheet. The rhizome network (root
system) along with the soil act as a filter to retain fine particles.
It also retains many of the harmful bacteria and nutrients.
TERTIARY FILTRATION

• Even after the secondary filtration some of the chemical

compounds and microorganisms can be present. After testing
the quality of water coming from the secondary filter, we can
estimate the amount of each contaminant. Depending on the
crops grown in the hydroponics farm the tertiary filtration
process should be decided.
• If the crops grown are meant for human consumption tertiary
filtration is highly recommended. Tertiary filtration is done to
remove unwanted chemical compounds and microorganisms.
• Reverse osmosis filter (RO filter) – the filtered greywater is
forced through a semi permeable membrane which separates
out the ions and microorganisms by letting only water to
pass to the other side of the semi permeable membrane .
Additional nutrients have to be added before adding this to
the hydroponic system.
• Activated carbon filtration – the filtered greywater is passed
through a tube packed with activated charcoal .It retains
natural and synthetic organic compounds, odour causing
contaminants and chlorine through adsorption. It cannot
remove microorganisms.
 Wick System
How it Works:
The nutrient solution is pumped from the reservoir up the growing tray and
delivered to plant roots via the capillary movement of the wick

Pros:
•Very easy to set up
•Great start for beginners, children

Cons:
•Not suitable for larger plants.
•Not efficient in nutrient use.
 Deep Water Culture (DWC) System

How it Works:
Plants are placed in a net pot and are held by a floating platform above a container
of nutrient and water. Plant roots are suspended and stretched into the nutrient-rich
oxygenated solution

Pros:
•Inexpensive. Easy to build
•Recirculating. Water saving

Cons:
•Not suitable for larger plants.
•Not suitable for plants with a long
growing period.
 Ebb and Flow System (Flood and Drain)
How it works:
Also known as Flood & Drain. The system floods the nutrient solution onto the grow tray to
surround plant roots before draining back. Often automated by a pump connected to a timer.

Pros:
•Good for water craving plants, like lettuces, spinaches
•Easy to build

Cons:
•Susceptible to pump/timer failure, power outages
•Require lots of growing media.
So need proper knowledge.
 Nutrient Film Technique(N.F.T)
How it Works:
A pump continuously forces the nutrient solution onto the grow tray,
flowing over plants. Then it drains back to the reservoir via the slightly
downward channel. No timer needed

Pros:
•Little to none growing medium used.
•Recirculating. Water saving

Cons:
•Susceptible to pump failure and power outages
•Not suitable for large, heavy plants.
 Drip System
How it Works:
Drip system pumps the nutrient solution through the tube and drops onto plant roots
via a network of drip lines. The action is often made automatical by a timer.

Pros:
•Simple to build and use.
•More control of nutrient amounts and
water schedule

Cons:
•pH and nutrient fluctuations
•More suited to larger gardens
 Aeroponics
How it Works:

Plant roots are suspended in the air and are misted with the nutrient solution continuously. The
misting interval is fairly short, done by a pump controlled by a timer.

Pros:
•Plenty of oxygen for plant roots.
•Little to none growing medium used.
Efficient water use

Cons:
•More expensive than other types
•More vulnerable to dryness caused by the
power outages
 The Kratky Method
How it Works:
Plants are placed in a net pot, hung by a floating platform. Parts of the roots are
submerged in the water while the rest are exposed to the air. Over time, when plants grow,
the water level reduces, leaving an air zone for plant roots. A hands-off system.

Pros:
•Inexpensive. Very easy to set up
•Little effort needed

Cons:
•Only suitable for fast-growing plants,
like lettuces, spinaches
•Not efficient for large systems.
Literature Review
-hydroponics in the 17th and 18th and 20th century.
-First experiment in 1993 using greywater for hydroponics.
-Plants and their growth using greywater in hydroponics.
-Hydroponics in Greenhouse.
--Hydroponics as a reliable and promising method.
Scope for the future….
We have compared many different models of hydroponics system and analysed
how using greywater can effect the same. Considering the efficient design, we
suggest installing greywater fed hydroponics system in apartments. Generally,
apartments have different pipelines to collect greywater and blackwater from
each household. Most of these also include treatment plants to reuse the water,
hence making it easier to install a hydroponic s system. This way, wastewater can
be reused well, and it will also create a better positive environment in the society
as well. People would also have access to fresh home-grown leafy vegetables.
Thus this design has a lot of scope and more applications will help us get to a
better future.
Conclusion
The whole world is facing serious issues of water scarcity,
water pollution, land degradation, irrigation challenges.
This is the time when we need to use new methods and
innovations so that we can use our resources judiciously
and cope up with the challenges.