Jan. 2/13
This morning, as I took my shower, I thought about how I was going to set up my grey water system this year.
For the last two years I have collected the water from showers and used it for watering the gardens. It is a wonderful source of water during the summer dry spells that we are are now having. Originally I used a watering can to transport the water from the rain barrel to the plants. Last fall I set up a hose to take the water from the rain barrel to a reservoir closer to the gardening area and from there to a drip-line system that would water the plants. Because I had set this up at the end of the season I haven’t had a chance to try it out.
Since this plan, I have learned that the grey water should not sit for long periods of time because bad bacteria will form and you really don’t want to add that to the gardens. Also, Rick pointed out that the holes in the drip-lines might get clogged with soap residue. The best option is to add sand to the grey-water barrel for a filtration process
And so—my plan:
1. collect and use rain water, when it is available, in a rain barrel and the reservoir system.
2. store the grey water in an additional rain barrel and let it drain every two or three days, whenever the barrel gets full, allowing the plants to get a good drink.
3. add the rocks and sand filtration system to the grey water barrel to purify the water and to prevent clogging the lines.
Thoughts, ideas, devil’s advocate questions are much appreciated. I have four months to figure this out.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
6 comments so far
daltxguy
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hardiness zone 5a
posted 138 days ago
Personally, I wouldn’t store grey water or even try to filter it. I would make my drip field be the filter and have it flush straight out into the field.
This way you don’t have to deal with the possibility of the system gunking up, bacteria or having to clean a sand filter.
-- Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. - Thoreau
MsDebbieP
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posted 138 days ago
hmmm good points but I don’t think I could use the driplines then. I’m sure Rick is right that the holes would clog up from soap residues.
If I remember correctly, with the one description of the sand filtration, only the top surface level had to be skimmed off or something. ..
Good thing I have a few months yet
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
daltxguy
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posted 138 days ago
I guess what I am saying is that, if you don’t store the water, you don’t have to drip it either. Have it flush straight out into a leach field – now the leach field becomes the filter and the ‘drip’.
I’ll see if I can find some references from Mollison’s Permaculture books.
-- Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. - Thoreau
MsDebbieP
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posted 137 days ago
I get it…. sounds good. Probably something I could have/should have done before I planted my blueberries etc.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
daltxguy
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778 posts in 1236 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 130 days ago
MsDeb – I’ve had a look through The Permaculture Design book – and Mollison doesn’t specifically talk about grey water systems. He only deals with two kinds of water – rain water, its collection and distribution for plants (mostly by swales and berms), rain water collection for drinking (tanks, cisterns) and then dealing with waste water – so he makes no distinction between grey and black – he incorporates the same system for all waste water ( I guess because otherwise you would need two systems )
Sorry, it doesn’t help much for a grey water system – unless you want to divert your entire waste water stream to your garden
-- Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. - Thoreau
MsDebbieP
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13903 posts in 2139 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 130 days ago
Thanks for looking into it.
I think I’ll go with the sand strategy .. or just stick with the watering cans until I figure something out.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)