Laundry Washing Machine Lint Filter & Septic Field

[jyoutz]

Viruses don't get any more infectious than hepatitis. The minimum dose is one virus particle. It also is not easy to kill with chlorine.

In this case, I can understand the public health department's desire for subsurface disposal.

I worked for awhile in an area where hepatitis was common (public defecation everywhere, with the resulting rampant fecal-oral diseases, dysentery, typhoid, etc.). One pretty fit young guy felt sick Friday, was ill Saturday, and dead Sunday from hepatitis.

We have septic, and much as I would like to recycle the water directly, I have made peace with running it through the septic field to be recycled (eventually). The upside of a more direct recycle is not worth it to me, but I can understand others arriving at different uses.

All the best,

Peter

The water from our washer, showers, and bathroom sinks all go out to the grey water seep area. No water leaves our 20 acres and nobody from the county ever inspects buildings once the initial inspections are complete. I understand the reasons that you state for the regulations in general, but the grey water system was already here when we bought the place and nobody is exposed except us. To our own wash water.

 

[mikester]

Sounds like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, if you ask me.

Microplastics is considered an environmental problem by many people. If you smoke a carton of unfiltered cigarettes daily then you won't perceive any problems.

 

[workinonit]

The water from our washer, showers, and bathroom sinks all go out to the grey water seep area. No water leaves our 20 acres and nobody from the county ever inspects buildings once the initial inspections are complete. I understand the reasons that you state for the regulations in general, but the grey water system was already here when we bought the place and nobody is exposed except us. To our own wash water.

Same here. When I plumbed the house I have 2 waste drain systems. One that goes to a ditch and one to the septic tank. All the sinks, dishwasher, showers and washer go to the drainage ditch. I built this house in 1996 and the septic tank is as good as it was then. Folks in this part of the country have been disposing of brown water in this manner since running water. But no fear, I'm sure the guvment officials know better.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Microplastics is considered an environmental problem by many people. If you smoke a carton of unfiltered cigarettes daily then you won't perceive any problems.

Hyperbole much?

A swing and a miss.

Guy has a 40 year old septic system, WITH NO PROBLEMS. Now suddenly, there is some "concern" about lint from a washing machine.

Lint? From a washing machine?

Glossing over the empirical data (that's a fancy term for scientific evidence) that the existing septic system, which has been in service for 40 YEARS, has no problems in it's function. After 40 YEARS of service. While it is possible (he didn't say) that the OP has only now, after 40 years, installed his first washing machine, and so just now added the new variable to the mix, I'm taking a leap of faith here that the OP, has indeed been washing his clothes in a washing machine appliance (and not using a rock down at the river) that has been attached to that septic system this entire time (40 year period).

My point?

There are more important things to worry about than this.

 

[oosik]

Perhaps it's because I do only one load of laundry per week. I've never had problems with wash machine lint. I DO have a filter on the outlet side of my septic tank. I've never had any wash machine lint caught up on this filter. I do pull and clean this outlet filter every six months. It never has much of anything on it.

So....... obviously - - I have very little lint OR it gets caught up with all the other organics and remains in the septic tank.

My house is three bedroom. So my septic system had to ( by local ordinance ) be sized for six people. With only me living here - the system is quite a bit oversized. This fact and that I only do one load per week - probably why I have no lint problems.

 

[arto98607]

Would you mind posting a link to where you found this filter? Is it just a standard house water filter except you're using it on the laundry discharge?

It is a reusable 100 micron filter, designed specifically for catching washing machine wastewater lint & keep it from going to the septic drainage field.

Filtrol | Microplastic & Lint Filter For Washing Machine

 

[jyoutz]

Same here. When I plumbed the house I have 2 waste drain systems. One that goes to a ditch and one to the septic tank. All the sinks, dishwasher, showers and washer go to the drainage ditch. I built this house in 1996 and the septic tank is as good as it was then. Folks in this part of the country have been disposing of brown water in this manner since running water. But no fear, I'm sure the guvment officials know better.

It’s not a good idea if there’s a chance for the grey water to contaminate surface waters or flow onto a neighboring property. None of those situations apply in my case.

 

[oosik]

BTW - just a side note here. Many, many studies have verified - laundry waste water contains the highest load of pathogenic organisms. Much higher than what is called - "black water".

 

[dadster4]

Moved into a 12 year old house two years ago and had the septic serviced...popped the cover off the tank...wow! 8" of grease-slime. Broke it up and pumped it out in minutes...geez, said the guy, that was fast, small tank for three bed, 2-1/2 bath home. I let him know I saw a mention of a two tank system on paperwork. A little probing found the other tank cover...to the first tank of the system. 18" of stiff gunk on top...this tank had never been pumped out, laundry lint was not a factor Filter cleaned, drain field inspected...all good!

 

[Milo]

BTW - just a side note here. Many, many studies have verified - laundry waste water contains the highest load of pathogenic organisms. Much higher than what is called - "black water".

If you don't use bleach or high temp water you should at least dry your clothes at high temperature to kill the stuff.