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 Mobile ViewSEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR ADDITIVES / TREATMENTS for SEPTIC SYSTEMS AEROBIC SEPTIC SYSTEMS ALTERNATING BED SEPTIC SYSTEMS BACKUP PREVENTION, SEPTIC BACKUP PREVENTION, SEWER LINE BACKWATER VALVES, SEWER LINE BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS BOOKS, RECOMMENDED SEPTIC BOOKSTORE, SEPTIC SYSTEMS CESSPOOLS CESSPOOL SAFETY WARNINGS CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY CHEMICALS & TREATMENTS for SEPTICS CHLORAMINE / CHLORINE Tests CHLORINE IN DRINKING WATER CHLORINE IN SEPTIC WASTEWATER CISTERNS CLOGGED DRAIN DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR D BOX TROUBLESHOOTING DEFINITIONS OF SEPTIC SYSTEM TERMS DIFFICULT SEPTIC SITES DISTRIBUTION-BOX INSPECTION, SEPTIC DRAINFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS DRIVING or PARKING OVER SEPTIC DRYWELL DESIGN & USES EFFLUENT RETENTION TIME FILTERS SEPTIC & GREYWATER FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP FLOODED SEPTIC SYSTEMS, REPAIR GARBAGE DISPOSAL vs SEPTICS GRAVELLESS SEPTIC SYSTEMS GRAVITY/SIPHON DOSING SYSTEMS GREYWATER SYSTEMS HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME SELLERS GUIDE TO SEPTIC INSPECT LAGOON SEPTIC SYSTEMS LEACHFIELD FAILURE DIAGNOSIS MEDIA FILTER SEPTIC SYSTEMS MOUND SEPTIC SYSTEMS NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS & SMELLS DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST ODORLESS CHEMICALS / GASES: CHECK FOR? 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Composting Toilets Disabled or Elderly-Use Toilets Greywater Septic Systems SEPTIC SYSTEM FLOOD REPAIR Incinerator Toilet Systems OUTHOUSES & LATRINES TOILET REPAIR GUIDE TOILET TYPES Toilet Types, Flush Methods TOILETS, DON'T FLUSH LIST TRAPS on PLUMBING FIXTURES TOILET TISSUE CHOICES TOILET TISSUE TEST TOXIC GAS TEST PROCEDURES VIDEO GUIDES: Septic Videos WASHING MACHINES & SEPTIC SYSTEMS WASTEWATER TREATMENT BASICS WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES WATER, WELLS, WATER TANKS: TESTING GUIDE WETLAND SEPTIC SYSTEMS WINTERIZE A BUILDING More Information |
This article defines and explains the disposition of greywater, a type of wastewater. Greywater is wastewater which does not contain sewage, typically coming from building sinks, showers, and laundry facilities. Graywater systems can reduce the load on or size of a septic system, and gray water separation, filtration, storage, and piping systems can conserve water, for recycling for various uses such as flushing toilets, landscaping, or irrigation. This article describes alternative graywater systems and designs, lists gray water (or grey water) products and suppliers, and compares products, models, and features. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.© Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. What is Greywater or Graywater and What is Blackwater?In addition to explaining graywater systems we list and compare other sources of water for use on lawns, gardens, orchards, or for purification as drinking water. We also include links to greywater system references and books. Shown here is a clean design for onsite greywater disposal using a sketch from Clivus Multrum (see links below). Other greywater systems include incineration and alternative greywater disposal methods. The EcoJohn Jr. shown below at our list of product sources uses a low-flush toilet (not a waterless toilet). This particular toilet is an incinerating unit not a composting toilet. Citation of this article by reference to this website and brief quotation for the sole purpose of review are permitted. Use of this information at other websites, in books or pamphlets for sale is reserved to the author. People who want to construct a greywater system should also see the greywater design books listed below at References. Technical review by industry experts has been performed and is ongoing - reviewers welcomed and are listed at References.
Gray water is usually water from building drains other than toilets, such as water from a laundry system, sink, or shower, and effluent from sump pumps. Other site gray water (or greywater) which is sometimes preserved and used at a building includes rainwater or roof runoff. Some writers include groundwater in the greywater category. I disagree, though greywater disposal systems may benefit the environment by replenishing groundwater. Greywater does not contain human waste products. Therefore when it is disposed-of on-site, it does not need to be treated to the same extent as is required for sewage or "black water". In fact, soil filtration and soil biomat treatment of greywater can produce very clean water for ultimate discharge into the environment. Therefore building code requirements for on-site disposal of grey water are less strict. However in most jurisdictions it is illegal to simply dispose of greywater by dumping it on the ground surface. Some treatment and filtering such as that provided by a drywell will be required. For building sites where there is limited space for septic "black water" disposal and treatment, one can install piping and equipment separate the gray water from black water (human waste) - a step which reduces the needed size of the septic system. (Space will still be needed for graywater handling). A second reason that some property owners install graywater handling systems is a shortage of potable water or the need to conserve and recycle water for re-use. In dry areas where there are limitations on the water supply, filtering and treating graywater can permit its use for watering lawns or crops as well as for flushing toilets. This approach serves two goals, both disposing of onsite graywater and supplying water for crops or shrubs. A typical graywater system can save 50 to 100 gallons of water a day, or even more, depending on the level and types of water usage in a building. Even homes connected to a municipal water supply benefit from a gray water system as by recycling water for re-use the building owners save on their water bill. The following sample greywater system specification is from: New York State Appendix 75-A.10 Other systems. Other U.S. state's laws and specifications regulating greywater systems are listed below. (5) Greywater SystemsGreywater [grey water, gray water] systems shall be designed upon a flow of 75 gpd/bedroom and meet all the criteria previously discussed for treatment of household wastewater. [DF NOTE: Grey water is water that does not include sewage, including water from sinks, showers, and laundry facilities.] Types of Graywater Products and SystemsHere we outline a variety graywater products, systems, and designs used to conserve water, re-use or recycle water, reduce water use, or to store and re-use graywater. Links to in-depth articles about these products and systems are provided below. See WATER SOURCE ALTERNATIVES for details.
Use of a Greywater System to Reduce Load on Septic System DrainfieldQuestion: Can I Use a "Packaged" Greywater System to Solve my Septic System Worry? I purchased a home that had a septic system that is not in great shape. To take some of the strain off of the septic system I decided to put in a graywater system. I was looking at a packaged "ready to go" system that includes a bank of mesh filters and a pump enclosed in a plastic shell. I wanted to see your thoughts on it. Can you recommend an inexpensive system? - C.M. (California) Reply: Compare a Greywater Diversion Device and a Conventional Greywater Drywall
Image at left of the Aqua2Use system interior components is used with permission from Water Wise Group. Here is an exterior view and here is a sketch of how this system works. A typical greywater diversion system provides a greywater receiving filter-tank or pumping chamber, a cascade of greywater filter materials and greywater pump itself, perhaps with integrated controls that operate the pump. Remy Sabiani from Water Wise Group adds: "With its Multi Stage Filtration system, the Aqua2use makes the greywater suitable to use with a drip irrigation system. it also includes two magnetic micro floats that sense the water level, and automatically control the pump." But without more information about your water usage, site characteristics, and irrigation needs, we are not sure it's what you need. Let's look at some details. Adding up the Components & Costs of a Greywater Diversion SystemAt under $650. for a packaged "ready-to-go" greywater system dispersion device itself, that cost is less than the excavation, piping, and installation of a conventional drywell. To that you'll need to add the cost of the greywater drip irrigation piping and its installation, and you may need to add the cost of a larger receiving tank, filter and tank maintenance if your daily surges in water usage are larger than the greywater diversion system's tank and piping can absorb in short intervals. You also will need to add the cost of changing existing home drain piping to divert graywater from baths and kitchen or at least the laundry system into a separate drain connected to the greywater diversion system. A graywater system produces water that can be used to irrigate a lawn or garden (but not a vegetable garden) - by filtering greywater and feeding it into a drip irrigation system, and at the same time it relieves the septic system drainfield of having to absorb that same water volume - presuming your drip irrigation tubing is placing the water somewhere else. Greywater Distribution System Site FactorsAlso depending on how you are using your building plumbing system, and other factors like your site size and terrain slope, diameter and length of the drip piping system, the rate at which the graywater treatment pump and filter can accept and push through graywater may be more limited than a conventional drywell that by comparison has no trouble accepting a surge of graywater and disposing of it more slowly into the surrounding soil. Take a look at your site shape, slope, and piping to see how easily you can separate off graywater draining from sinks, showers, tubs, laundry. You might find that the cost of those plumbing changes is also substantial when you are changing an existing home (as opposed to planning for graywater separation in new construction). Take a look at the Aqua2Use Pump Curve and you'll see that if there is substantial head pressure (in feet) the flow rate in GPM that the system handles is slowed. Greywater Distribution & Local CodesIn California where you are located, you can install a graywater system that accepts just water from an individual clothes washing machine without having to obtain a permit. (California Greywater Regulations) That's a simple installation that can reduce the load on your septic system drainfield, similar to using a conventional drywell for the same purpose, but adding filters and a pump and piping to dispose of the graywater on your property. Watch out: most national and local plumbing codes do not permit discharge of grey water directly onto the ground surface, so simply spraying grey water over the ground like from a lawn sprinkler is probably not going to be accepted in your area. But to complicate this worry further, treated effluent from an aerobic septic treatment unit (ATU) may be allowed to be distributed by above-ground sprinkler systems, for example in some Texas communities. What's the difference? Probably the level of phosphates or detergents found in washing machine grey water. See Grey Water System Codes & Regulations Considering a Conventional Drywell for Greywater DisposalBut the costs of in house plumbing changes (usually high if you are including graywater from other sinks, tubs, showers) plus cost of the drip line installation (may be high) makes a simpler approach: connect the building laundry sink/washer and maybe dishwasher to a separate conventional drywell, worth considering, especially if you do not need to use the water for irrigation. All of those costs combined with attention to your starting objective: relieve water load on a drainfield, suggest that you should also consider a simpler and more conventional drywell with an inlet filter to trap lint and large debris. See FILTERS SEPTIC & GREYWATER . If your soils have reasonable percolation rate, the drywell will handle a large volume of graywater without going to the added site-wide excavation to put in drip lines. No pumps or electricity are needed if you can drain graywater directly to the drywell by gravity. Don't Forget to Care for the Septic Tank and DrainfieldsFinally, your wish to reduce the load on the septic system by separating graywater presumes that it is the drainfield of your system that is limited, old or failing. But you should also have the septic tank pumped and inspected. It may need baffles, it may be damaged or leaky, it could have an unsafe cover, it may be small and require frequent pumping. And inspect the existing drainfield and D-box to see if there are alternate drainfield lines that can be switched into use, and to confirm that effluent is indeed entering all of the existing drainfield lines - all considerations that are very important in extending the life of the drainfield. In sum, if you have reason to need and want a drip irrigation system anyway, say for lawn, plantings, or decorative (non-edibles) garden, and especially if you are in an area of limited water supply or drought restrictions, then you could use the graywater system but you'll need to get a more realistic cost estimate by including not just the graywater filter, tank, and pump but also the entire drip irrigation system. But if all you want is to relieve the liquid load on your drainfield a drywell may be a simpler approach that I recommend you consider. It too can handle larger surges of graywater. Grey Water System Codes & RegulationsGraywater System Regulations for various U.S. States
Graywater System Products, Greywater Diversion Systems, Pumps, Tanks, Books and Design Specifications For Graywater Systems
Rainwater Collection Methods to Obtain Additional Water Supply
Graywater Collection Methods to Obtain Additional Water SupplyWhat most people do, as you will see in our article above, is make use of graywater, usually filtered, sometimes treated. You might find that rainwater collection in areas where rainfall is plentiful in some seasons, or graywater use, are more economical for your use, and that condensation is more costly to operate and less productive in quantity unless you design a cheap, very large solar condensing operation.
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