Dig a hole then fill it in...

"SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media" (silentbutnotreallydeadly)
11/24/2018 at 06:05 • Filed to: Houseolopnik

It’s kind of like working on a project car...

This is our soon to be new wastewater treatment system. The old soakage trench from the septic tank has ‘gone to God’ and this is our solution.

The trench took the effluent from the septic tank plus greywater direct from the bathroom and kitchen (technically kitchen waste water is considered ‘black’ water...same as toilet) and it just soaked away...

This place runs on rain water only and there’s currently not enough roof area to supply the house given the typical rainfall. So being able to treat and recover our waste water at least for garden use would be great.

Essentially it’s a big hole filled with four plastic troughs (2nd grade septic tanks actually) linked via 100mm PVC pipe and each filled with gravel. So far I’ve buried nearly two grand in money plus a couple of weeks of my labour but when 15,000 litres of water (about 10 weeks supply) costs $350...the payback should be quite quick.

Faster than a rusty Miata anyway...

Oh and here’s a bonus...

These are old, broken grindstones that were discarded by Aboriginal people as they moved through our property over the past couple of tens of thousands of years. Gives you a perspective on the difference between ownership and the reality that you are just a temporary custodian...

DISCUSSION (13)

TheRealBicycleBuck > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
11/24/2018 at 07:02

Grindstones? Someone call EHP! (Environmental and Historic Presevation). Seriously, I’ve seen jobs shut down for less. Those bastards want us to verify to which landfill the licensed contractor is taking the garbage generated by the demolition work. We had one EHP wank raise concerns about one of the parks spreading dredge material from their pond onto land which was under 10 feet of water during the last flood. She was worried about the environmental impact. Grrr.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
11/24/2018 at 09:50

Does your system receive the water from the clothes washing machine? What about bleach, borax, stuff like that?

DipodomysDeserti > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
11/24/2018 at 11:08

You don’t use bleach or borax with a grey water system. You can use vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or lemons in place of bleach.

DipodomysDeserti > TheRealBicycleBuck
11/24/2018 at 11:14

Yes, lets put 10k year-old artifacts into a landfill...

DipodomysDeserti > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
11/24/2018 at 11:30

I’d love to read more about your property.

People in Phoenix would shit themselves if you restricted them to 15k L every 10 weeks. People here average around 35k L every month and pay an average of $30 for it. Some surburbs charge around $80 a month and people lose their shit. We are so fucked.

You got a spot on your plot where I can hunker down?

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
11/24/2018 at 16:11

Laundry water goes straight onto the garden...such as it is. The detergent used is chosen to suit that purpose.

We don’t tend to use bleach or other harsh cleaners as we’ve been using septic systems for twenty odd years. Though we do run a dishwasher...

Our last treatment system was actually a worm farm and was great but that isn’t practical here where there’s already a decent septic tank (though I could retrofit it to convert it).

In general, systems like these are very robust and you have to be a serial poisoner to actually kill one...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > DipodomysDeserti
11/24/2018 at 16:20

Peroxide is good stuff. But is it costly to use on a scale of laundry?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
11/24/2018 at 16:21

I’m a city slicker...

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > DipodomysDeserti
11/24/2018 at 16:28

There’s not much to say about it. It’s 100 acres of country that wasn’t really suitable for agriculture (r ocky ridges and nutrient deficiet sandy soils). 80 percent remains under trees though a decent proportion is actually regrowth. It is also spectacularly fire prone.

However, it sits on a ridge between two valleys that have permanent water. The valley to the north is a narrow flat sided affair with a large swamp in it and numerous sites of occupation by Aboriginal people - indeed it is actually now a declared Aboriginal Area and access is restricted. It appears that the gully that runs up our northern fence may have been the path used by these people to move between the two valleys for culture and trade purposes. Hence the grindstones...and yet these have probably been disturbed and collected around the house and are therefore out of context . We’ve been in touch with the local mob for safekeeping advice and they may even want to use these items for cultural education...

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
11/24/2018 at 16:30

That's OK...so are most people!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
11/24/2018 at 16:39

Lots of work to live off the grid.

DipodomysDeserti > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
11/24/2018 at 17:00

Depends on how many white shirts you own. I have one, so I rarely need a whitener. I have a lemon tree, so those and vinegar are my go to.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
11/24/2018 at 17:12

Oh we aren't off the grid...we just live in a country town and one of us has a government job based in said town. And I'll get some paid work at some stage...when I have time.