Living machines, which mimic natural wetlands, are used to naturally treat greywater.  This is accomplished through a series of stages involving plant and animal life.  The effluent of a living machine is clean enough to be used for a variety of things, but with some sterilization it can be used to drink.  After treating greywater through a living machine (which requires little energy due to gravity-fed compartments and natural systems of filtration), the water can be returned to the system for toilet flushes, fire suppression storage, washing machines, and irrigation purposes.  As I mentioned, it can also be further sterilized and used for kitchen sinks, showers, dishwashers, and other potable water users.

Here’s a conceptual model of how a living machine works, from a past project of mine:

Source: Achieving Water Independence In Buildings via International Living Building Institute

The key players in the system that produce blackwater are toilets, kitchen sinks/ garbage disposals, and dishwashers.  Anything that contains organic matter contaminates the wastewater produced with bacteria, viruses, and pathogens.  Good practices in the kitchen can limit the amount of blackwater to be treated by the system, but there will always be people eating and producing waste in the system, and these things require the presence of an MBR.

At this stage the water is not potable, but it is clean enough to be used for a variety of other things.  Once treated, the water output from an MBR can be used to refill toilets for flushing, irrigation needs, washing machine water, and to supply fire hydrants with water.