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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:15 am 
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:14 am
Posts: 22
Location: Lone Oak,TEXAS
This is the best place I could figure to put this topic.

I am in Hunt county and live out in the countryside, not in the city. Here we are allowed (legally) to discharge the washing machine water out onto the lawn/landscape as long as it doesn't pool or disturb the neighbors. What I want to do is to design/build a greywater system to where the discharge will be used to water some plants or flowers on the back side of the house (west facing).

I have a couple questions before engaging in this endeavor. Has anyone on this board done this? I would like to hear from someone who has undertaken this adventure.
My wife and I usually use Seventh Generation or Shaklee detergents to stay as close to natural as possble, but sometimes we don't get into Dallas (Whole Foods) or forget to plan ahead on purchasing and have to get a "septic safe" standardly available detergent (free of dyes and perfumes, of course). What should I be on the lookout for when using detergents?
What particular plants are better at utilizing this type of water and can stand getting watered fairly often (we wash about twice a week at least with a standard size washer)? Just for a volume comparison, the run of the flower bed will be 40' to 46' long, so it will be spread along a fairly long area. I am thinking of using a 4" diameter PVC pipe cut in half as the underground trough to distribute the water.


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 Post subject: Grey Water
PostPosted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:10 am 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2003 5:33 pm
Posts: 829
Location: Dallas,TX
My scientist sister uses a grey water system on her place near Temple, TX and it works well. I'll forward your questions to her and hopefully we'll get some answers fairly quickly. So yes, it can be done successfully and yes, there are resources where you can learn about it.

Back in a jiffy!
Kathe :D


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:16 am 
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:14 am
Posts: 22
Location: Lone Oak,TEXAS
I just realized I messed up on my previous posting. The back side of the house faces east, not west.


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 Post subject: Gray water research
PostPosted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 2:35 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2003 5:33 pm
Posts: 829
Location: Dallas,TX
First of all, there are several grey/gray water systems on the market for you to ponder. You don't have to start from scratch or build your own completely unless you WANT to. Remember that gray water does not include toilet waste, which has high concentrations of nitrogen and changes the color and consistency - hence the term "black water", also because it can be so deadly.

There are a ton of websites to study, including www.greywater.com (nice but small & small system), www.waterrecycling.com (much larger & larger system) and you can google or yahoo search a zillion others. Wikipedia.com had some interesting links too. Here's a bit from their site:

Greywater comprises 50-80% of residential "waste" water. It may be reused for other purposes, especially landscape irrigation (see http://greywater.net). The benefits of grey water reuse can include:

Lower fresh water use
Less strain on failing septic tank or treatment plant
Grey water treatment in topsoil is highly effective
Ability to build in areas unsuitable for conventional treatment
Less energy and chemical use
Groundwater recharge
Plant growth
Reclamation of otherwise wasted nutrients
Greywater typically breaks down faster than blackwater and has much less nitrogen and phosphorous -- see http://www.greywater.com. However, all greywater must be assumed to have some blackwater-type components, including pathogens of various sorts.

Blackwater from the household and other venues can be eliminated via the application of commercially available composting or incinerating toilets in place of the classical flush toilet. Similar devices can be used to dispose of garbage from the kitchen sink disposal.

With appropriate plumbing, greywater can be used for irrigation without pretreatment (it receives high level treatment from soil and plant roots). However, long term research on greywater use on soil has not yet been done and it is possible that there may be negative impacts on soil productivity.

There are numerous "soft" processes based on natural biological principles such as using reedbed filter systems, the wetpark systems or the living wall that can be used to clean up greywater.)

There are also "hard", direct processes, such as distillation (evaporation) which need not necessarily be as energy intensive as they might initially appear. There seem to be as yet no commercially available "hard" greywater recovery devices suitable for on-site use in the individual household, even though a number of such technologies exist, thanks, for example, to the space programs.

Recycled greywater from showers and bathtubs can be used for flushing toilets, which saves great amounts of water. Many attempts at this have been made in Germany. However, untreated greywater cannot be used as flush-water as it will start to smell and discolor the flush toilet fixture if left for a day or more. Although the level of treatment required in this case requires the water to have low or nil BOD, it is not necessary for it to be treated to the same standards as potable water. Greywater recycling for toilet flushing is generally not economical at a residential scale.

In the water damage restoration industry, grey water is considered to be any water from the exterior of the home, or clean water that has been standing for more than 48 hours.

In the U.S. Southwest and the Middle East where available water supplies are limited, especially in view of a rapidly growing population, a strong imperative exists for adoption of alternative water technologies. See the Greywater Policy Center, http://oasisdesign.net/greywater/law/index.htm


Texas A&M had an extensive research facility several years ago, but my sis says she hasn't had to research it in years because it's become so second nature. I can tell you that she is very satisfied with her system and that it works well. All her drains, including the washer, showers, sinks (no disposal) and dishwasher all go to the system. She's had it in place for 3 years now at this farm, and had one for ten years with great success at her former location. Both of hers were in the ground with no raised boxes or beds and both worked very well.

Good luck and as you learn more, please share with everyone else!
Kathe :D


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:00 pm 
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Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:14 am
Posts: 22
Location: Lone Oak,TEXAS
Kathe,

Thanks for your post.

I have been looking up greywater systems for about two years now, off and on. So, I know what, how and why they work. The best resource I have found so far is the Oasis Design web site and The Humanure Handbook by Joe Jenkins. My only problem is the "authorities" at this point. I talked to my county health office and they said I could only do the sinks (other than kitchen) and shower if I had a county certified engineer design a system.

I was wondering how your sister was able to get hers approved by her county. Or did she? :wink: And, what, if any, plants she has around the discharge pipe.

I just want to use mine to drain into a raised flower bed to get some more greenery around the house. I have heavy clay soil here - rock solid in some places - that might not be good for some plants.


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 Post subject: More...
PostPosted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 12:00 pm 
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Joined: Wed May 21, 2003 5:33 pm
Posts: 829
Location: Dallas,TX
My sister's system drains only from her sinks and shower. She is in a rural area so little permitting is required unless the water were to drain near an existing water system, and it does not. She has several types of plants around her system to do the filtering, including cattails, and clay soil as you do.

I know the soil in your area and if I may recommend, compost, cornmeal and green & lava sand will do wonders. You don't even have to till it in, just give it an inch of compost and spread the cornmeal and sands on top. Then water them all in. You'll see an improvement fairly soon.

Good luck and report back, please!
Kathe


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jun 05, 2006 4:46 pm 
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Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 11:48 am
Posts: 62
Location: Kemp,Texas
If it did include the washing machine I would be concerned about overwatering as alot of water goes through a washing machine and even a shower.


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