Septic question - pumping to drain field

[Dmace]

The sad thing is you are no better off being down stream of those other systems that merily drive up the bulding and or bying cost of the home owner.

I would love to know what magical system you have in place because you mention it every time there is a septic thread and even though I ask you every time, you never say what you are using. The systems used today are safer, cleaner, smaller, just as reliable, and cheaper. These aren't stone and pipe systems that just redistribute, these systms use natural bacteria to break down the effluent and purify it. After leaving an Enviro or Eljen leaching system, discharged effluent needs just 12" of typical ground soil to become safe enough to drink. I would like to see you drink water from your system just 12" below it...

 

[ByronBob]

Move the house closer to the septic system. Preferrably uphill of it.

 

[RobA]

Move the house closer to the septic system. Preferrably uphill of it.

See my post from the 14th. That's what I don't want to do.

 

[dfkrug]

Also, pump systems are not "maintenance intensive", I have clients that have systems over 10 years old and have never even looked at the system let alone had to maintain it at all. These pumps are built on the same motor design as your well pump and everyone knows how long those last. They use very little electricity and most have built in alarms just in case the pump fails to turn on.

That is correct, for the most part. My system has been in use for 7 yr now,
and it is the most intensive pump-up system I am aware of.

So far, the 3 problems I have had to fix are all related to the design and
construction of the "turn-key" pump system ($1200). I had a failure of the 2"
high-pressure flex line between the pump and outflow pipe inside the
holding tank. The manufacturer should have used higher pressure line. :-(
The original design had no 2" check valve....BIG mistake. The brass flapper
valve I installed failed due to corrosion. The new PVC flapper valve is
working fine now. If Orenco has properly built this system, I would have had
NO problems.

 

[2manyrocks]

I've been thinking about Egon's post #26. We've had several summers here where we have had to water our garden to keep it going. Each time I have wished I had plumbed our house to use the drain water from the showers for this. I remember reading somewhere that grey water from the kitchen sink is a no-no, but shower water is okay. Would seem to be a better reuse of the water than dumping it into the septic system.

 

[Dmace]

I've been thinking about Egon's post #26. We've had several summers here where we have had to water our garden to keep it going. Each time I have wished I had plumbed our house to use the drain water from the showers for this. I remember reading somewhere that grey water from the kitchen sink is a no-no, but shower water is okay. Would seem to be a better reuse of the water than dumping it into the septic system.

Unless you take showers without using any soap, shampoo, shaving cream, body wash, etc... you should not be reusing that water. Grey water is grey water and should not be reused without proper chemical filtration.

You want to save water and reuse it for a garden, then put a few buckets under the downspouts for your gutters and setup a few catch buckets around the yard.

Grey water should never be reused like that.

 

[schmism]

Grey water is grey water and should not be reused without proper chemical filtration.

Grey water should never be reused like that.

Your statement above reads as a FACT but is based on what?

 

[Dmace]

Your statement above reads as a FACT but is based on what?

I won't say it is fact because there are not enough studies on it but reusing grey water is actually illegal in some areas and for good reasons, plus it is illegal everywhere to store grey water for more than 24 hours. There are plenty of studies on it that mostly say it's only ok if it is for landscaping only and not used anywhere near edible plants. Even if it is used for irrigation it needs to be spread through an underground weep system and not just sprayed out of a hose. Then there is the problem with most soaps and detergents that will kill many types of landscaping. There is no guarantee as to what exactly is in that water.

Here are a few studies but if you search around there are plenty more:
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER 2008: GREY WATER REUSE : SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCE
Graywater Reuse and Rainwater Harvesting

I guess I can't say it should never be used but I do believe it is a dirty practice that could be harmful and is unnecessary in most situations other than droughts. The grey water that goes into your septic is going to end up back in your well whether it goes through your septic or is sprayed on your garden. The difference is it's not properly sanitized when you re-use it.

 

[CurlyDave]

Somehow this seems pretty restrictive to me.

On my property there are more deer, rabbits, possums, birds, raccoons than people. There are also bear, cougar, and coyote, but I hope in fewer numbers than people, although I don't know about the bear.

Just last year the county set up a wildlife porta-potty just two places over from mine, but they haven't sent the agent out to teach the wildlife how to use it yet.

Seriously, I have no delusions that these guys all hold it until they get somewhere else. Why is it that a whole lot of animal poop is safe, and a little bit of grey water from humans washing themselves is bad? When I take the trailer out to go camping we just dump the dishwater in the woods and no one has come down with the plague from that.

When we go deer hunting there are 20 of us and probably 80 other hunters in the same 10 square miles, plus hundreds of deer, all pooping in the woods. And we throw our grey water in those same woods. No one has ever gotten a sewage-related illness.

I understand the life expectancy benefits of the public health and sanitation improvements mankind has made, but one family's grey water on 20 acres is not a public health menace.

 

[Egon]

Why is it that a whole lot of animal poop is safe, and a little bit of grey water from humans washing themselves is bad?

Note: speculation only

It may be because of the type of bacteria involved and this bacteria getting on vegetables that are not washed properly before consumption?

Some types of animals may also harbor very similar bacteria [Thinking Pigs] but again this is speculation?

From several years ago I seem to recall some lettuce that was contaminated by ?? that did cause some concern when it hit the market?