Building and Construction - Septic System and Laws

Author

Septic System and Laws

Harry

2006-06-14, 5:21 pm

=EF=BB=BFHello,

I have been reading a post about someone's sewage dilemma,
and it has me worried, because i am about to go down that
road. If worse comes to worse can i install an incinerating
or compost toilet for the feces; burn the paper (or just use
soap and water); contain, within legal limits, the kitchen
sink, gray-water in a french drain and let all other water flow
onto the grass and garden. The gray-water law isnot broken
until it stands for so many days, hours, minutes what?
What constitutes =E2=80=9Cgray water=E2=80=9D?

Bob Morrison

2006-06-14, 9:21 pm

In a previous post Harry wrote...
> I have been reading a post about someone's sewage dilemma,
> and it has me worried, because i am about to go down that
> road. If worse comes to worse can i install an incinerating
> or compost toilet for the feces; burn the paper (or just use
> soap and water); contain, within legal limits, the kitchen
> sink, gray-water in a french drain and let all other water flow
> onto the grass and garden. The gray-water law isnot broken
> until it stands for so many days, hours, minutes what?
> What constitutes =E2=80=9Cgray water=E2=80=9D?
>
>
Better check with your local health department for requirements. they
will have the last say in the matter.

--
Bob Morrison, PE, SE
R L Morrison Engineering Co
Structural & Civil Engineering
Poulsbo WA
bob at rlmorrisonengr dot com

Dan Deckert

2006-06-15, 2:21 am

Bobs' reply of contacting your local agency is the best course method of
dealing with any possible woes.
Gray water is "generally defined" as the stuff you don't want to run thru
your septic system that destroys the bacterial action that occurs naturally
and causes premature failure of your septic system.

Dan

"Harry" <paminifarm3@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:1150315433.131580.147400@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
Hello,

I have been reading a post about someone's sewage dilemma,
and it has me worried, because i am about to go down that
road. If worse comes to worse can i install an incinerating
or compost toilet for the feces; burn the paper (or just use
soap and water); contain, within legal limits, the kitchen
sink, gray-water in a french drain and let all other water flow
onto the grass and garden. The gray-water law isnot broken
until it stands for so many days, hours, minutes what?
What constitutes "gray water"?

Jonny

2006-06-15, 9:21 am

Also see "black water", not the same thing.
http://www.ecohealth101.org/glossary.html
http://www.groundwater.org/gi/gwglossary.html
http://www.reddawn.com/glossary.html
--
Jonny

"Harry" <paminifarm3@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:1150315433.131580.147400@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...
Hello,

I have been reading a post about someone's sewage dilemma,
and it has me worried, because i am about to go down that
road. If worse comes to worse can i install an incinerating
or compost toilet for the feces; burn the paper (or just use
soap and water); contain, within legal limits, the kitchen
sink, gray-water in a french drain and let all other water flow
onto the grass and garden. The gray-water law isnot broken
until it stands for so many days, hours, minutes what?
What constitutes "gray water"?

olushola

2006-06-16, 9:42 am

Here's some sites on incinerating toilets. I don't thing you would have any legal issues with them. I like the
concept over compost toilets but just wonder about long term reliability and maintenance issues. There doesn't
appear to be many people using them as those using compost toilets.

http://www.citizensafe.com/storgasintoi.html

http://www.incinolet.com/index.htm

Olushola

M&S

2006-06-16, 9:42 am

Harry wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have been reading a post about someone's sewage dilemma,
> and it has me worried, because i am about to go down that
> road. If worse comes to worse can i install an incinerating
> or compost toilet for the feces; burn the paper (or just use
> soap and water); contain, within legal limits, the kitchen
> sink, gray-water in a french drain and let all other water flow
> onto the grass and garden. The gray-water law isnot broken
> until it stands for so many days, hours, minutes what?
> What constitutes “gray water”?
>

Like Bob said, your local health department is going to have the final
say so but the general guidelines that are followed nation wide are that
any outflow from your home must be processed in some way or another. You
cant even have a floor drain in a crawlspace that simply drains to a
french drain and feeds the flowers.

Contrary to another post, grey water isnt simply water you dont want to
go into your septic. Grey water is water which does not convey human
feces. This would be sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers, and
the like. The only fixture considered "black" would be a toilet, and in
some locations, a bidet.

Just about all health departments in the US will require you to treat
even grey water through a tank and leech bed. The requirements will
likely be less than for your septic system but you will have to install
two systems. This is normally only done when you are going the
composting/incinerating toilet route as a way to legally deal with your
grey water. You will likley also have to pull a permit and go through
all the same channels even for a composting/incinerating toilet in most
locations.

Most current health department guidelines address specifically septic
systems, grey water systems, composting toilets, commercial drains (sand
traps and so on), etc.. There is nothing that they allow you to simply
send to a french drain anymore. Other than rainwater.

Whats with the panic? Are you in violation? Property wont perk? Sneak a
system in? There is really no need for panic. Following proper channels
most all properties can come into compliance. Its just the worse the
situation, the more the $$. Here in WV a worse case system can cost
5-10k, back in MA where we used to live, worse case could be 40K and up.

Good Luck,
Mark

Bob Morrison

2006-06-16, 9:42 am

In a previous post M&S wrote...
> Like Bob said, your local health department is going to have the final
> say so but the general guidelines that are followed nation wide are that
> any outflow from your home must be processed in some way or another. You
> cant even have a floor drain in a crawlspace that simply drains to a
> french drain and feeds the flowers.
>
> Contrary to another post, grey water isnt simply water you dont want to
> go into your septic. Grey water is water which does not convey human
> feces. This would be sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers, and
> the like. The only fixture considered "black" would be a toilet, and in
> some locations, a bidet.
>
> Just about all health departments in the US will require you to treat
> even grey water through a tank and leech bed. The requirements will
> likely be less than for your septic system but you will have to install
> two systems. This is normally only done when you are going the
> composting/incinerating toilet route as a way to legally deal with your
> grey water. You will likley also have to pull a permit and go through
> all the same channels even for a composting/incinerating toilet in most
> locations.
>
> Most current health department guidelines address specifically septic
> systems, grey water systems, composting toilets, commercial drains (sand
> traps and so on), etc.. There is nothing that they allow you to simply
> send to a french drain anymore. Other than rainwater.
>
> Whats with the panic? Are you in violation? Property wont perk? Sneak a
> system in? There is really no need for panic. Following proper channels
> most all properties can come into compliance. Its just the worse the
> situation, the more the $$. Here in WV a worse case system can cost
> 5-10k, back in MA where we used to live, worse case could be 40K and up.

Mark has give excellent information and advice. Please follow it.

--
Bob Morrison, PE, SE
R L Morrison Engineering Co
Structural & Civil Engineering
Poulsbo WA
bob at rlmorrisonengr dot com

Jonny

2006-06-16, 9:42 am

"M&S" <no@no.com> wrote in message
news:mamkg.13440$921.6807@newsread4.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Harry wrote:
>
> Like Bob said, your local health department is going to have the final say
> so but the general guidelines that are followed nation wide are that any
> outflow from your home must be processed in some way or another. You cant
> even have a floor drain in a crawlspace that simply drains to a french
> drain and feeds the flowers.
>
> Contrary to another post, grey water isnt simply water you dont want to go
> into your septic. Grey water is water which does not convey human feces.
> This would be sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers, and the like.
> The only fixture considered "black" would be a toilet, and in some
> locations, a bidet.
>
> Just about all health departments in the US will require you to treat even
> grey water through a tank and leech bed. The requirements will likely be
> less than for your septic system but you will have to install two systems.
> This is normally only done when you are going the composting/incinerating
> toilet route as a way to legally deal with your grey water. You will
> likley also have to pull a permit and go through all the same channels
> even for a composting/incinerating toilet in most locations.
>
> Most current health department guidelines address specifically septic
> systems, grey water systems, composting toilets, commercial drains (sand
> traps and so on), etc.. There is nothing that they allow you to simply
> send to a french drain anymore. Other than rainwater.
>
> Whats with the panic? Are you in violation? Property wont perk? Sneak a
> system in? There is really no need for panic. Following proper channels
> most all properties can come into compliance. Its just the worse the
> situation, the more the $$. Here in WV a worse case system can cost 5-10k,
> back in MA where we used to live, worse case could be 40K and up.
>
> Good Luck,
> Mark
>

Some of the links I looked at term blackwater, seems dishwashers makes
blackwater as well per many weblinks. Am under the impression by their
categorization, any plumbing appliance and associated drain that contains
human processed organic matter (feces), or not human processed like
cooked/uncooked food is considered blackwater. However, like you, was
previously under the impression that blackwater was only from human solid
waste. The only plumbing associated appliance I saw was the washing
machine, which is graywater associated. Under that definition, there's
usually no problem with dumping this water on the lawn in rural areas where
you aren't affecting the neighbors. At least that's what I've seen here.

Am using a french drain for dispersal of diluted sulphuric acid from an
aerator bottle that processes hydrogen sulfide gas from well water before it
reaches the house plumbing. The local county has no laws regarding this
form of waste. The grass and trees wetted by this drain are not protesting
either.
--
Jonny

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