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Plan the utility and laundry room for low water and greywater

The laundry is one of the biggest water and energy users in the house. Lay it out so washing uses little water and power, the drain feeds the greywater system and clothes can dry without a heater.

How

1. Choose an efficient washer. ENERGY STAR says certified washers use about 20 percent less energy and 30 percent less water than regular ones, and a front loader uses roughly half the energy and water of a top-load agitator machine.
2. Place the washer on the plumbing wall so its outlet can feed a laundry-to-landscape greywater line (sanitation-14). Leave access to the diverter valve.
3. Plan an indoor drying rack or pulley airer and an outdoor line. If you need a dryer, ENERGY STAR says heat pump dryers use around 70 percent less energy than conventional dryers.
4. Fit a deep utility sink, wall shelving for detergents that are safe for greywater (sanitation-13), a folding bench and a lockable cabinet for chemicals.
5. Run heavy loads like washing in the sunny middle of the day when batteries are full (living-6).

Safety: Store laundry and cleaning chemicals locked and out of children's reach.

Do these first

• sanitation-14
• living-8

Sources

1. Clothes Washers. ENERGY STAR (US EPA and DOE), accessed 2026-11
2. Clothes Dryers. ENERGY STAR (US EPA and DOE), accessed 2026-11
3. Laundry to Landscape Graywater System Design Guidelines. County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health (US), accessed 2026-11

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