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  • From: <darren@permaculture.biz>
  • To: "'permaculture'" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Santoyo on storing graywater
  • Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 00:02:34 +0700

G'day,

Funny how things can turn around. In my home town whole in the early 1990's
planning schemes were changed to require detailed Environmental Management
Plans (EMP) as part of a planning/development application for new rural
developments. This was largely in response to the salinity effects of
smaller scale rural resettlement, with respect to septic tanks and grey
water. With the new state planning laws the requirement for EMP's became
mandatory statewide. Back then we had a terrible time trying to convince
authorities that separated and responsibly treated grey water was useful for
irrigation reticulation as an antidote to the profligate use of highly
treated potable water for this purpose.

Well scan to 2000 with long term drought, low catchment storages, and not to
forget inefficient irrigated agriculture and now you can get a subsidy to
reticulate grey water around your garden as opposed to using potable water
which is now restricted for use in the garden. Many irrigated agriculture
areas have been classified for suitability to irrigation method according to
salinity risk, with water prices determined according to this
classification, a form of social architecture which has changed the face of
water use in those areas, as well as the operations of those effected
agricultural enterprises. These regulatory constraints (?) have made a big
difference to the scope of water use and the innovations that follow.

In my town, at long last, it is now illegal to use the reticulated potable
supply to wash your car at home, water lawns (yey!) and many other wasteful
practices. Of course the authorities take great credit for such innovative
regulation, though with a lot of these things a permie or one hundred have
been doing it and suggesting it for much longer! Same goes for energy
efficient housing, which is now similarly regulated.

Ciao,

Darren Doherty

-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of L.Santoyo
Designs
Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2005 7:28 AM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Santoyo on storing graywater

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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