Replies

1. 
   georgeolivergo | Jul 18, 2002 05:16am | #1

   hey Nealz,

   I've read a lot about greywater and seen a couple of sample systems that I was impressed by.

   that said the only system I personally used was for kitchen and bath sinks only, basically it was a line out to a grease trap and then a large cistern diffuser. It worked with very little maintenance. The site was a mountain guest cabin that could handle up to 40 people a night.

   if I were you I'd look into 'living machines' by OceanArk (sp?) and the systems used in earthships. Look on the web.

   best, GO

2. 
   rickwainman | Jul 18, 2002 06:05am | #2

   Neal,

   Did some research on that myself. Basically you're trying to minimize the wear and tear on a septic system. Most grey water systems were add-ons to an old septic system to handle the increase in water from washers and such.

   Most codes require that any drain which might have human refuse going through it not be hooked to grey water systems. This keeps you from hooking up the shower, toilets, and possibly the bathroom sink if you have babies. Also, if you have a grey water system, it won't handle a garbage disposal without an additional sediment tank.

   I asked my septic contractor about it, and he thought it wasn't worth the trouble. We just made the septic field large enough to handle all the plumbing in the house. With the septic system and the high clay soil I have, I had to use a recovery field. The water filters through the bed and then is picked up by pipes and sent through a chlorinator. The water is then allowed to surface, supposedly in drinkable condition. (haven't got anyone to try this yet) I suppose you could use that water for your plants and such, which is one of the points of a grey water system.

   Don't know if that adds to your knowledge base, but there you go.

1. 
   friendlyguy | Jul 18, 2002 04:50pm | #3

   In the past, most rural homes seperated septic waste and greywater, even if the two approaches were called an outhouse and a cess pool. We have a greywater system at home for the washing machine. While water does not harm a septic system per se, heavy water loads can reduce the long term life of such a system by attracting plant roots to the highly moist conditions.

   My experience with kitchen grey water has not been favourable. The heavy organic load carried in most kitchen grey water is best handled by a septic system, IMHO.

   Of course, any grey water system requires enough land that you're not impinging on your neighbour in some negative way.

1. 
   junkhound | Jul 18, 2002 11:06pm | #4

   "heavy organic load carried in most kitchen grey water is best handled by a septic system, IMHO"

   Heed homebody's  advice or be sorry - consider especially the grease factor.

   Laundry water on the garden is wonderful, the plants love the phosphates, while the septic does not. Talk to a septic tank pumper guy, they all say they can tell if the homewowner used Tide, there are balls of congealed detergent the size of baseballs in the pumpout.

1. 
   DavidThomas | Jul 19, 2002 01:07am | #5

   "they can tell if the homewowner used Tide". In that vein: Tide comes with a big scoop. I've been experimenting with using less and less than a full scoop. I'm down to 1/4 to 1/3 of a full scoop and the clothes still comes out fine. I gotta think this helps the septic system. (For a really oily work clothes, I'll use almost of full scoop, but that's rare.

   David Thomas   Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska

1. 
   caseyr | Jul 19, 2002 05:57am | #6

   The current issue of Home Power magazine has a pretty good article on grey water systems.  You can check it out at http://www.homepower.com/ and click on the current issue cover at the left on the screen.  I think you can download the magazine, although I haven't tried it. 

3. 
   Zehrung | Jul 19, 2002 03:01pm | #7

   Nealz.

   I am an architect and live on a rural block in Australia. Much of my work and my own home use solar electricity, rain water tanks, on site effluent treatments etc.

   On some blocks where electricity is available, we often use an aerated treatment plant such as Taylex. This cleans the water with a settling tank and an air pump, and allows water reuse on the garden.

   Where electricty to run pumps is not avaialble, we generally use one of the grey water systems which dispose water in underground trenches. Basically a drainfield. If a composting toilet is used, then the greywater system can be a very small version of a septic system. There are also reedbed systems where greywater runs through an open "transpiration trench" system with gravel and water-absorbing reeds. Rather than simply reusing the greywater, these can be a net water consumer as the reeds may need to be watered in the mid summer to keep them alive.

   Another alternative (which the local authoities may not like) is to simply route the bath and laundry water straight into the garden. One client installed an unconnected bath tub in their greenhouse, and when they are finished washing they simply pull the plug and the veggies get a drink. A diversion valve to a legal drainfield system may be a good idea for winter, though.

   Good luck with your problem and keep saving this precious resource!

   EZ

4. 
   4Lorn1 | Jul 23, 2002 08:35am | #8

   When I first heard of greywater systems I thought to myself that it was a great idea. Getting double use of the water appealed to my frugal ways. Then I found out that storage is impractical without treatment and distribution tricky because greywater delivery is variable but the water needs of plants much less so. The more I read the more I realized that to be done right I would need either a complicated and expensive system or what amounted to a dedicated septic tank to pretreat the greywater so that it could be stored, 72 hr max, and not gum up the diverter valves, drip heads or the drainage field.

   After some time I came to the conclusion that I already had a greywater system. Its the same as my blackwater system and it is designed to spread both in a recycling process that waters a good portion of my lawn in a controlled and environmentally sensitive manner. That is what a septic tank and drain field does if it is properly designed, installed and maintained. Why reinvent the wheel.

1. 
   Nealz | Jul 29, 2002 08:34pm | #9

   Thanks all, for the good greywater info. I still haven't figured out how to go about it, but I'm talking to a local septic guy who has some experience with greywater. Take care.

   -Nealz