permaculture

["L.Santoyo Designs" <santoyo@earthflow.com>]

Hey Rain,

First, I wouldn't call them mobsters...
They are right -septic tanks work very well for predigesting and of 
course, for settling of solids.  (If I could afford one each time I 
would consider it too)... BUT the fact is -it just isn't necessary... 
the leach line from the septic tank, as normally designed, is for 
infiltration (below the root zone) -the greywater delivery line is 
not a classic leach line -in the sense that it is delivered for use 
by plants at the root zone level (not below).  Best delivered in 1.5 
inch diameter pipe (less clogs and "islands" than with standard 4 
inch leach line)

The drums may work better as surge tanks below kitchen sinks, bath 
and mop sinks... (even 30 gal or smaller in a series)

Sounds like the inspectors in your county need more information and 
attention before they can act more responsibly for the people they 
serve... There are permitted grey and even black water systems in 
this State.  The City of Santa Monica in Los Angeles County has 
trained staff to educate both homeowners and contractors in 
roof-water harvesting and grey water use in the landscape...  There 
is also a very productive home orchard and mulch system in nearby 
Malibu (that we sometimes feature in our urban design courses) that 
is nurtured by a permitted domestic black-water system!

Be sure to get the series of Art's books, study them -then YOU can 
become the pioneer species for educating your county officials!.. see 
http://www.oasisdesign.net/

good luck


Larry

Larry Santoyo, Director
EarthFlow Design Works
805.459.0452
http://www.earthflow.com/consulting.html


> Hi Larry,
>   
>   I've always heard that storing graywater is not a good idea 
> because it gets anaerobic, stinky, and thicker with bacteria which 
> can increase clogging.  I'm trying to convince my county (Mendocino) 
> to let me do a branched drain graywater system, but they insist on 
> some kind of septic tank.  The county inspector and my site 
> evaluator/engineer/mobster say that septic tanks remove sludge and 
> pre-digest the graywater before it goes into the leach lines (or 
> gravel beds around fruit trees in my case since the inspector won't 
> let me use mulch, either).  I'm going to use three 50 gallon drums 
> for the inspection and maybe remove them later.  What do you have to 
> say?
>
>   Rain


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