Water - lessons learned

[Icarry2]

I have been working on a water system for a client and it has made me really work at conservation and recycling of water in a long term group that is setup at an established location.

I am basically looking for input as to what you have tried that did not work, basically lessons learned type stuff.

The issue that keeps coming up is use and recycling of grey water. How to filtering it and recycling it.

If you have some insight, I would be glad to hear it and I am sure that many others would as well.

Thank you in advance,

Carry On...

 

[JettaKnight]

I thought about doing that, but give the extra plumbing, the resistance by inspectors, the low cost and abundance of water here in Indiana...

If I was on a septic system, and had a big garden and gravity as my helper, yeah it could be useful.


Were you think about using grey water in a domestic capacity, i.e. for toilets?

 

[Icarry2]

Were you think about using grey water in a domestic capacity, i.e. for toilets?

Currently the system uses both manual hand pumps and solar powered pumps to supplement gravity in moving water.

It does uses some coarse particulate filters to take personal hygiene water (shower and hand sink) and use it for low water use toilets but the point of the effort is to use water more than a "once through" system.

I was tasked with designing a system that uses "kitchen sink water" for a secondary use. I know they use biodegradable soap which says it is safe for irrigating vegetables but I am looking for feedback from anyone who has used this stream of grey water for this purpose.

Or any other water recycling info. I have read and talked to plenty of people but thought I would ask the question here.

 

[JettaKnight]

I was tasked with designing a system that uses "kitchen sink water" for a secondary use. I know they use biodegradable soap which says it is safe for irrigating vegetables but I am looking for feedback from anyone who has used this stream of grey water for this purpose.

Check with California Gun Owners forum.

 

[KittySlayer]

No answers, just a question to think about. As you delve into using grey water for non-potable uses consider the impact on plumbing and fixtures. My impression is US plumbing fixtures are designed for the pristinely clean water that flows from our taps. As you start introducing less than pristine water does it impact the maintenance/tolerances/flow/seals on the rest of the system?

 

[JeepHammer]

Rain water catchment, above ground it gets green and grows mosquitos.
This means treatment to keep it from becoming contaminated.
Storing underground (cistern) will lower temp and slow things down, but cisterns still need to be cleaned & treated.

Keep in mind EVERYTHING on the roof winds up in rain water catchment, including bird & squirrel droppings, bird feathers, leaves and dust/dirt.
You need a screen trap at the gutter top to screen off larger solids, and a drop trap to dispose of dirt/bird droppings etc.
Once the roof gets washed, you can use the water.

Gray water takes a split drain.
Sinks & washer will have soap, so you have to use a bio-degradable soap, and you need a grease/solids trap.
This won't keep the water from being 'Scumy' and that will collect in toilets requiring cleaning the tank/valves.
Keep in mind the gray water tank will get gross, too much toothpaste, food, etc there for bacteria to eat.

One mistake I made was running ALL gray water into use, and that didn't leave enough to keep the septic line flushed.
Running the bath tub/shower into the septic line keeps it flushed, and keeps the septic tank healthy.

*IF* you attempt this, make sure the drains have clean out plugs everywhere...
(Ask me how I know that... )

 

[JeepHammer]

I do use rain catchment from tanks, but the gray water plugged things up, like drip watering in the garden beds.
A ground garden can take gray water straight from a larger pipe, and you do use water every day.

In my circumstances, deep wells were the answer.
The well driller says most of Indiana sits on limestone bedrock, and limestone is an excellent filter, plus the deep wells keep water cold enough it doesn't grow bad things.
It cost me a little more to push well pipe down to limestone bedrock, and I needed a deep well pump, but it's good, clean potable water without treatment, although it's 'Hard' water, it's secure and a deep well provides plenty of it.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

As far as safety for the plants, and for handling, I can't imagine grey water from either kitchen sinks, shower/tub drains, or from washing machines causing a problem. In fact, many soaps will have a positive effect on plant growth. I'd be confident that, if you gravity-drain grey water into a tank that allowed solids to settle and floatables to float, you could draw a relatively clean water from the middle using a float with a submerged drain tube.

Another consideration is that grey water contains BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) which will lead to the growth of algae, and a whole host of stalked ciliates, rotifers, and other biomass, and it will go septic if it just sits there very long. Some keep some kind of aerator, like an aquarium bubbler in a grey water tank to keep it from going septic. In addition, aeration will allow the nitrogen cycle to convert forms of nitrogen into "plant-available" forms of nitrogen.

One project at my place that I'd like to do is to hook up a grey water tank in my crawl space with a shallow well pump and a sediment filter and plumb that to my toilets. That way, you're flushing the toilets with water that you've already used, and it can save a lot on both the water and the sewage bill. I've been putting it off becuase I'm also considering installing a 1500+ gallon rainwater tank, and if I do that, I will plump rain water to the toilets.

 

[Icarry2]

Great Info and input. That's why I posted here and not in that other forum.. Thanks JK.. lol

That being said, who actually uses grey water for their garden? Looking for real experience, testimonials, discouragement, etc.

Thanks

 

[JettaKnight]

When I was looking into it, a simple sand filter was the conventional wisdom. Not sure if that changed.

 

[JeepHammer]

If I had BigBoxaJunk around, mine might have gone better...
With 60" of rain a year and wells, I found it more trouble than it was worth other than dumping into a flat garden.
Even then it built crud up in 1-1/2" pipes.

We watch what goes down the drain here and run it off directly into the garden, other than a grease trap no treatment.
The long row crops don't seem to mind at all, but we do have pretty good drainage in the garden so when it rains for days things don't flood.
No anti-bacterial, no gel soaps, no cleaning paint paint brushes or industrial chemicals.
(With clean out plugs, simply use a drain snake instead of chemical cleaners)

Keep in mind where it hits the surface it will freeze in winter, so plan for that with either insulation or diverter valve.
Pumping out of a buried tank will stop that, but you will need overflow protection if you use a buried tank, and buried tanks means cleaning those tanks, a nasty job...