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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: <pbunch@cox.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] sewage systems
  • Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 10:10:50 -0700

What kinds, if any, of problems can develop with odors?


---- Ken Hargesheimer <minifarms2@yahoo.com> wrote:
> The water leaving the system is drinkable.  No problem. 
>
> --- On Wed, 6/9/10, pbunch@cox.net <pbunch@cox.net> wrote:
>
>
> From: pbunch@cox.net <pbunch@cox.net>
> Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] sewage systems
> To: "Healthy soil and sustainable growing"
> <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Date: Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 7:34 AM
>
>
> We need to expand our treatment system to accommodate people who will be
> visiting our place.  My wife is getting ready to rent rooms as part of a
> tourism project and and we will need to add capacity for about 6 to 8
> people (initially sporadic use but potentially full time). Our subsoil
> drains slowly so a traditional drain field would need to be rather large
> and importing the gravel would be difficult as there is no road access.
> Also as we are located in a watershed reserve with a major tourism
> component this is a sensitive issue. .We don't want to pollute water that
> is critical to the city and we can't afford to have odor problems due to
> both the guests and close proximity of hikers, etc.
>
> I would be interested in hearing how others have solved these kinds of
> issues.
>
> Phil
> Medellin/Piedras Blancas
>
>
> ---- Emery Mitchamore <emitch@att.net> wrote:
> > The EXPLANATION was over-simplistic, not the system.  I've heard of it,
> > I've googled it, I've seen pictures.  What I HAVE NOT seen is an
> > explanation of how it's done.  How does one determine the size,
> > materials, plants?  The plants must grow, so how do you harvest them, and
> > what do you do with them?  The growth medium must need to be of a certain
> > type and size to prevent clogging, and I imagine that some combinations
> > of "rock" and plants work better than others.  Surely, if it's worth
> > doing, it's worth doing well, but I'd rather not have to invent this
> > thing all by myself, when it has already been done successfully.
> >
> > E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
> > www.hillcountrynatives.net
> >
> >
> >
> > On Jun 8, 2010, at 12:14 PM, Joan Vibert wrote:
> >
> > > "Plants purify the water" is a bit over-simplistic.
> > >
> > > Actually its not “over-simplistic” at all.  We’ve had a marsh
> > > (rock-plant-filter) system since 1994 that handles all of our sewage on
> > > our farm.  We were the second system to go in in Kansas and they used
> > > the information collected over several years to write the regulations
> > > for the Kansas Department of Health & Environment.  This required
> > > monthly testing for at least two years as I recall.  It was amazing –
> > > the water at the end of our marsh (its about 12’ x 60’) was 99% pure
> > > according to the testing lab.  Actually purer than our drinking water
> > > I’m sure.
> > >
> > > The same system should be used wherever possible for municipal sewage
> > > treatment – its so simple and I’m sure that’s why it doesn’t get
> > > considered – it just doesn’t cost enough and cuts out lots of engineers
> > > expenses.
> > >
> > > Joan Vibert
> > > Windwalker Farm
> > > Ottawa, Kansas
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Livingontheland mailing list
> > > Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
> > > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland
> >
>
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