Fallon
Super Member
I presume they are talking about the metal cage on an IBC tote. The bladder on one will not quite collapse under it's own weight, much less handle being buried well when dirt starts pressing in through the cage.
Greywater Storage Tank Idea - Will it work?
- Thread starter jclaudii
- Start date
- Views: 8462
Diggin It
Super Star Member
Without the cage they WILL collapse under their own weight when filled with water. I know that for sure. I don't know what the cages are made from or how fast they will deteriorate, but I would never bury one and expect it to hold up.
There is too much 'stuff' in drain water to do this in my view. I have the washer going out to a field using 4" corrugated drain pipe and the kitchen sink uses a 2" pipe to a field, but the shower and bathroom basin go in the tank.
Contrary to popular opinion on some of these boards, the septic tank police aren't lurking everywhere waiting to pounce on every ounce of spilled water. This is why so many of us live in more rural areas where 'they' aren't hovering over our every move. I don't ever plan on selling this house, so no one will ever know most of what I've done until after I die. I'm almost considering a clause in my estate documents requiring the place be demolished instead of sold.
There is too much 'stuff' in drain water to do this in my view. I have the washer going out to a field using 4" corrugated drain pipe and the kitchen sink uses a 2" pipe to a field, but the shower and bathroom basin go in the tank.
Contrary to popular opinion on some of these boards, the septic tank police aren't lurking everywhere waiting to pounce on every ounce of spilled water. This is why so many of us live in more rural areas where 'they' aren't hovering over our every move. I don't ever plan on selling this house, so no one will ever know most of what I've done until after I die. I'm almost considering a clause in my estate documents requiring the place be demolished instead of sold.
fruitcakesa
Veteran Member
After clearing it with our local health officer, when we built our house and homestead, one of our ideas was
a non-traditional hybrid septic/grey water system that actually will produce a clean useful composted material
that can be used in the garden or elsewhere to build soil fertility.
We buried a small 300 gal. plastic septic tank near our house and then down stream from that,
a 30 gallon siphon and finally a 40 foot long by 4 foot wide trench, we call it the chip bed, that has a perforated pipe held above the trench a couple of feet.
Then the whole trench and pipe is covered with 4 feet of wood chips, planer shavings, sawdust or some other convenient carbon source.
The way it works is the septic tank fills with black/grey water. When full, the liquid flows from the tank to the siphon.
When the siphon is full, the 30 gallon slug of liquid is released and flows into the chip bed and is distributed evenly by the perforated pipe.
We have had this system for nearly 30 years and had the septic tank pumped only once during that period and the pump man said that our tank was healthy and working perfectly.
The key to proper septic tank management is never putting chemicals or other stuff that will kill the beneficial bacteria in the tank that breaks down the solids.
We do have some maintenance on the chip bed yearly, replenishing the carbon material, flushing the pipes and removing some of the composted material.
a non-traditional hybrid septic/grey water system that actually will produce a clean useful composted material
that can be used in the garden or elsewhere to build soil fertility.
We buried a small 300 gal. plastic septic tank near our house and then down stream from that,
a 30 gallon siphon and finally a 40 foot long by 4 foot wide trench, we call it the chip bed, that has a perforated pipe held above the trench a couple of feet.
Then the whole trench and pipe is covered with 4 feet of wood chips, planer shavings, sawdust or some other convenient carbon source.
The way it works is the septic tank fills with black/grey water. When full, the liquid flows from the tank to the siphon.
When the siphon is full, the 30 gallon slug of liquid is released and flows into the chip bed and is distributed evenly by the perforated pipe.
We have had this system for nearly 30 years and had the septic tank pumped only once during that period and the pump man said that our tank was healthy and working perfectly.
The key to proper septic tank management is never putting chemicals or other stuff that will kill the beneficial bacteria in the tank that breaks down the solids.
We do have some maintenance on the chip bed yearly, replenishing the carbon material, flushing the pipes and removing some of the composted material.
Diggin It
Super Star Member
My Termites would have devoured that in a few months.
fruitcakesa
Veteran Member
Not a problem in chilly Vermont.
OP
jclaudii
Silver Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2012
- Messages
- 135
- Location
- River Valley and South Arkansas
- Tractor
- MF35, Kubota7040, Case885, Ford 1100
I don't figure I'll have any issues with septic flow. I mean my kids don't follow the "if it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down" methodology. So the toilet gets flushed alot.
Just to clarify I was planning on running a leach line and drain field opposite of the septic's to spread it out.
I mean, a septic/greywater system is not rocket science, but it is microbiology. I figured one could almost cut the size of a septic tank by 2/3's (possibly more) if one diverts greywater to it's own system so as to not wash out the septic system activity. I figured if I ran two 275 gallon tanks inline so they act similar to a 550 gal 2 chamber tank. With the inlet tank acting as the trap for solids, oils, and fats, and then a crossover pipe 4inch to 6 inch going to the 2nd tote which would have the output line going to the leach field. Should work, just need to think of a way to shore up the IBC totes.
Just to clarify I was planning on running a leach line and drain field opposite of the septic's to spread it out.
I mean, a septic/greywater system is not rocket science, but it is microbiology. I figured one could almost cut the size of a septic tank by 2/3's (possibly more) if one diverts greywater to it's own system so as to not wash out the septic system activity. I figured if I ran two 275 gallon tanks inline so they act similar to a 550 gal 2 chamber tank. With the inlet tank acting as the trap for solids, oils, and fats, and then a crossover pipe 4inch to 6 inch going to the 2nd tote which would have the output line going to the leach field. Should work, just need to think of a way to shore up the IBC totes.
mcfarmall
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2015
- Messages
- 1,483
- Location
- Kalamazoo, MI
- Tractor
- Kubota M5660, Farmall C, JD 260 lawn tractor
I run the discharge from my water softener into a bootleg drain close to the house. 2" pvc trap on the inside of the basement wall with a short standpipe attached then it runs through the wall outdoors. Pipe turns down into a manifold setup with a couple of 4 foot laterals with holes drilled in the bottom. Set the whole thing in a bed of river rock, some asphalt shingles over the top and backfill. In my sandy soil it will take as much water as you can run down there.
My logic is to keep the brine out of the septic tank...can't see salt water helping out the microorganisms.
My logic is to keep the brine out of the septic tank...can't see salt water helping out the microorganisms.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
What is the purpose of a tank for grey water? For solids, you have the tank so the solids will break down, and then the remain fluids will be absorbed into the soil.
If you are just getting rid of grey water, and you don't want to use it to water an area of land, so the woods out back, then you can put in a leach field and let it soak into the ground that way.
Either way, there is no reason to have a tank to hold the water for any period of time.
If you are just getting rid of grey water, and you don't want to use it to water an area of land, so the woods out back, then you can put in a leach field and let it soak into the ground that way.
Either way, there is no reason to have a tank to hold the water for any period of time.
Alan W.
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 1,893
- Location
- Kentucky
- Tractor
- Kubota L3650 & Bobcat 763G & Craftsman DGS6500
Use to install septic systems and from what I do remember the term grey water was not a legal term in Ky code. As the inspector told me Everybody Pees In The Shower. You were allowed to divert the washing machine water to a seperate line going to some chambers but not the shower or sink water.
And yes a septic system will chug along just fine with nothing but the toilets going to it.
I have seen systems using ibc totes in basements that captured the grey water then used it by a seperate pump to fill toilets.
As was stated earlier no one in the rural areas, at least around here, are hunting down illegal grey water systems.
I would get some Infiltrator chambers and run the grey water to them. A lint filter on the washer will greatly increase any system. The lint builds up a mat that never seems to break down.
And yes a septic system will chug along just fine with nothing but the toilets going to it.
I have seen systems using ibc totes in basements that captured the grey water then used it by a seperate pump to fill toilets.
As was stated earlier no one in the rural areas, at least around here, are hunting down illegal grey water systems.
I would get some Infiltrator chambers and run the grey water to them. A lint filter on the washer will greatly increase any system. The lint builds up a mat that never seems to break down.
