QUESTION: We are landscaping our yard and considering a watering system. Our water and sewage bills are already high. Is it possible to set up a greywater system to water our trees and lower our water bills?ANSWER: Water is the most precious natural resource we have, so the less each of us uses each day, the better. We can stop driving cars if we use up all the gasoline, but we cannot stop drinking or watering gardens to grow food.In many areas, water is already in very short supply. Your idea of using greywater for your landscaping is a good money-saving one and is becoming more popular throughout our country and the world.Before you design and install a system, first check with your local codes for approval. An excellent 50-page background book on designing a greywater system is "Create an Oasis with Greywater."Greywater is the drainwater from bathing, dishwashing, clothes washing, cooking, etc. in a house. Waste water from toilets is called blackwater and should always go into a sanitary sewer or approved septic system.In a typical home, about 20 to 40 gallons of greywater are produced per person each day.A greywater system can be as simple as rinsing your hands over a pan and using this to water plants. Full-featured automatic greywater systems, costing several thousand dollars, will water your landscaping or an entire section of lawn.Determine the scope of your system and your budget initially because it can be involved to expand a system at a later time.The soil in your yard is an excellent water purifier, better than a sewage plant which uses chemicals. The plant roots and microorganisms in the soil consume the food and other waste particles in the greywater.Once through the soil surface, water moves slowly, often only one inch per day. When this water finally reaches aquifers and springs underground, it is very clean.Installing an Envirosink is a simple way to start. This is a small plastic secondary sink which you mount by your existing kitchen sink.When you are rinsing off foods, dishes or your hands, swing the faucet over the Envirosink. Its downspout drain can be attached to a removable large jug or tank under the sink.In a complete system, it will be attached to the greywater piping.A branched greywater system is a good design for watering trees and shrubs. The main greywater outdoor drain is divided into two using a "Y" connector. Each of these is further subdivided several more times to lead to many trees and shrubs. During wet weather when the ground is already saturated with water, bypass the greywater system to avoid having the greywater run off into nearby streams, lakes or storm sewers.Send inquiries to James Dulley, Butler Eagle, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.

QUESTION: I live in a condo community where we are not allowed to have window air conditioners. I thought about installing one in my fireplace during summer so it would vent up the chimney. Will this work?ANSWER: This will not work.A window air conditioner needs to have outdoor air circulate through the condenser coils to exhaust the heat. There will not be enough air flow from the slight draft in a chimney.Your best option is to install a portable air conditioner. The narrow outdoor vent is barely visible in the window. I use a portable Northstar model (www.freecomac.com) in my home office on hot, humid days.

James Dulley has a degree in mechanical engineering. His Sensible Home column appears in 400 newspapers.