TURTLE FEATHER CENTRE for SUSTAINABLE LIVING

Grey Water Recycling

for

Cabins and Small Houses

Grey water is household usage water delivered through sinks, showers or applicnes such as washers.  The resulting product is only as usable as it is devoid of household chemicals or pollutants, neither which has no place in an ecologically sane home.  It does little or no good, and in most cases it is detremental, to feed landscaping a water which is chock full of hard materials and deposits...in fact, you shouldn't even be using these types of products when there are so many organic and natural alternatives, however, this is not the point here.

One the other hand, Black water is waste water produced through the sewage system and should by no means routed for use other than sanitation. A viable alternative to wasting water flushing toilets is installing a composting or dry toilet system which uses little if not any water, depending on the type.  Be sure to check local codes first, and remember, do not use humanure on edible plants or those used to feed livestock!

A simple grey water system is basically a small leeching system, similar to a septic system without the waste.  Not to say that septic systems are not effective, they are.  Septic systems use no real energy and the water generally ends up back in the aquifer it was removed from if the water was obtained locally.  Sure, it eventually adds unwanted minerals into the groundwater, however  for the most part, if an area is not over developed or over populated, nature can run her due course and handle the problem quite effectively.  It is only when the balance of population versus resources is overloaded, that natural systems can no longer act effectively.

ALL grey water MUST be delivered UNDERGROUND!  This is a sanitation regulation in almost every state and most provinces.  In no way should it be directed to the surface.  This is also handy since greywater systems, like septic leeching systems, need adequate "fall" in the lines for drainage.  It also delivers water below ground where evaporation is not present (under the first six inches of soil material).  Lastly, it keeps conditions for pathogens at bay, such as those neccessary for West Nile Virus or Malarial strains.

Not to worry, your non-fruiting ornamental plantings and native flora will enjoy the water anyway.  Remember, do not use grey water in kitchen food gardens.  It's all about health!

Water exiting the house will flow into a "grease trap" where solids can settle to the bottom and skims will float on the surface.  Plants will appreciate this, as they do not particularly thrive on grease!  The "clean" liquid then flows outwards from the "grease trap", the exit being lower than the entry, into a system of either leechlines or pipelines which terminate into "cans", or a combination of the two.

As illustrated above, the "cans" need to be placed below the hardpan or caliche layer and in an area with adequate drainage.  You may check the drainage by digging a small hole with a post hole auger and then filling it up with water.  If perculation is adequate, a half gallon of water should drain whilst you eat your lunch, if not relocate the "can".  Remember, each "can" needs to be installed also lower than the exhaust plumbing on the grease trap as we are using gravity flow in this system. 

You will find this type of system is relatively self sustaining and maintenance free, with the occasional cleaning of the grease trap, as long as few pollutants as possible are eliminated via the drain systems!