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Re: GBlist: Re: Greywater
There is a wealth of material out there on greywater reuse. A good place to
start is the Jade Mountain web site, and I think they have a $1 or $2
information packet on greywater. Another good source are the earthship
websites and the earthship volumes (I forget which one covers greywater).
SSA (the Earthship people) publish a $12 Greywater Chronical which contains
their latest information.
Code approval is a problem in most places. In the absence of code approval
the usual method is to include the code-required systems and also the
greywater systems, with a valve that you can turn to use one or the other.
In counties where you can get a greywater system approved (including right
here in Boulder county, where I am planning on building one into my house),
the idea is to have the indoor planters near the fixtures to cut down on
plumbing. Done well you can end up with a much simpler plumbing set up than
in a conventional house, plus you get to save the cost of a septic system
and you get lots of great plants. (Here in Boulder I'll still need a leech
field to handle overflow from the greywater system.)
Blackwater must not be mixed with greywater of course but a compost toliet
solves that problem very easily. Actually I don't know why more people
don't use compost toliets, they are a LOT cheaper than a septic system and
if approved by the National Sanitation Foundation they are supposed to be
quite easy to get past the code people. SunMar makes a wide variety,
including water flush toliets that go to a composting chamber in the
basement. The plumbing is quite simple and seperate from all the other
plumbing.
Looking at the whole thing from a fresh perspective (i.e. I probably don't
know what I'm talking about) the use of composting toliets and greywater
reuse seems cheaper and more elegant than conventional septic systems.
----------
> From: Craig DeWitt <cdewitt@CLEMSON.EDU>
> To: greenbuilding@crest.org
> Subject: Re: GBlist: Re: Greywater
> Date: Wednesday, May 21, 1997 6:11 AM
>
> Warren just mentioned "... repiping work on the risers serving the
> toilets..." when using greywater.
>
> What about the whole plumbing/DWV system? Apparently you need two
> independent systems; on the supply side separate supplies of fresh,
potable
> water, and of greywater. On the waste side, one for collection, storage
and
> redistribution of greywater, and one for collection and disposal of
> blackwater. Can the vent pipes be joined? Does greywater corrode/clog
> pipes? Do the building codes cover them? Are code officials receptive?
>
> In summary, are there any good reference materials or a treatise
available?
> With three kids rapidly approaching those teenage years, escalating
> water/sewer fees, an opportunitiy to build a new house, and a general
intent
> on consumption reduction, domestic use of greywater makes sense to me.
> Craig DeWitt
> SC Energy R&D Center
>
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