[tommy steam]

I live south of 466a .the water used to water the lawn is gray water, not used for drinking but ok for grass and shrubs. Some have told me that if you plant a orange tree in your garden,you can't eat the fruit because its watered with gray water. Is it true or false?

[NJblue]

The water that is used for residential irrigation is a combination of well water and the water that gets collected by the storm drains. It is NOT reclaimed water from the sanitary sewers (this water is reused, but only on the golf courses). However, even water that comes from the storm drains may have some stuff in it that you may not like, such as dog feces from dogs whose owners fail to pick up after their pet. Whether that makes it unsafe for fruit tree irrigation, I don't know. I tend to doubt it since the "bad" stuff would be highly diluted.

[blue72]

We have a home in TV but only get up there when my wife's work schedule allows. We live in Cape Coral Fl just outside of Ft. Myers. We have had orange, key lime, grapefruit and mango trees for many years and have enjoyed fresh fruit from them. Cape also uses a water system for irrigation which is not for human consumtion. Never had any problems.

[wendyquat]

My husband served in the Air Force in Korea and witnessed them using human "manure" in their rice paddies! Rice comes out a nice, fluffy white but he still doesn't care to eat it!

[graciegirl]

You would be proud of me Mr. Drenning who taught me about osmosis in eighth grade biology class. If I remember correctly that process keeps most yucky stuff OUT but not OFF fruit...so if you wash it, it should be o.k.

I hope someone doesn't call me on this and make me explain and defend that it has anything to do with it, because I CAN'T!

[Phanatic Luvr]

I would like to comment on one of the comments above. If you are not going to be full time residents and decide to plant fruit trees, I do hope you are generous enough to have your neighbors pick the fruit for themselves. In my travels around The Villages, I have seen several homes with fruit trees where no one picks them and the fruit falls to the ground. Not only is this an obstacle for lawncare services but will also attract unwanted rodents and bugs. In my last neighborhood, it was written into the deed restrictions that no fruit trees were permitted for just that reason. Just food for thought ... pun intended.