GREY/BLACK WATER

I'm in trouble!
My washing machine water still goes on the garden and I wash the car on the lawn.

When it doesn't rain for 8 months and there is small fortune invested in plants, and its only a small amount of grey water going into the ground, I can't see a problem.

bill

My washing machine water only goes on the garden - easier on the septic system. During the last drought Canberrans were required to wash the car on the grass - dont know if that requirement is still in place.

Cheers,

Val

Dude!!!!

That is just so funny, unfortunately though, so correct in real life.

This Forum is inundated with 'Political Correctness Police' who just can't restrain themselves from trying their absolute best in 'socially engineering' other people.

DD

Glen, Before you go off criticising everyone else, you should go back and read your question. The main thrust, to me at least, is about fines and which states have them.

G'day Glen
Grey water from caravans, motor homes, campers etc has a mixture of soap,left over cooking materials, greese, etc. These all combine and fairly quickly tun the water to black water if the water is stored in a tank/container.
Some showgrounds in Queensland have instituted a regulation that says: " some method of trapping the waste material must be used IE: a sock and the sock placed in a garbage can regularly". I have a 20ltr container that has a tap about 2" from the bottom the idea being the grey water goes in, the solids fall to the bottom and the water runs out. I then empty the tank into a registered dump point.
I have not heard of any law but it is coming. The ACC and the Leave No Trace Australia organisation are trying to get some sanity into this question.
I suggest you google "Leave No Trace" and see what comes up.
Not the one in the CMCA site as they have seperate ideas.
Regards
PeteM

It's a Forum, Glenn, where discussions are held. Discussions wander all over the place.

Don't expect much response in the future if you call people smart arses.

You didn't ask that at all, read your own post!
If you want a definitive answer & don't want forum discussion, go & pay an industrial chemist for a report on the subject.

Anyone else getting bombarded with Member Messages from the OP because he doesn't like the answer given?

The following comes from here:

Error: Storage of grey water

Storage rapidly turns grey water into blackwater (see photo, page 4). The word "storage" should immediately sound an alarm, as should anything that includes a tank bigger than 55 gallons (for residential systems). If you doubt this, just fill a bucket with grey water and observe it as it progressively darkens and becomes more fetid. Bacteria multiply to blackwater levels as well, at least the indicator bacteria. In Mexico the trampa de grasa (grease trap) often included in grey water systems is a very popular way to commit this mistake-omitting or bypassing the trampa de grasa would be much better.

Preferred practice

24 hours is generally considered the prudent maximum time for storage. Since this is not enough time to, for example, store grey water from a time when irrigation is not needed to one in which it is, I find myself tuning designs to eliminate pooled grey water anywhere it occurs; just send it all straight to the soil. The fewer little anaerobic corners and pockets the better. My latest designs drain COMPLETELY…all the collection plumbing, distribution plumbing, and surge tanks (if any) slope at least 2% across their bottom surfaces.

Manually distributed grey water can be stored for the day to allow for manual distribution all in one session. Tanks for this purpose should be designed to drain COMPLETELY (not leave a bit of fetid grey water at the bottom to inoculate the next batch) and NOT BE TOO BIG as this invites misuse in the form of letting the water sit too long.

A bit of reading for you from many Glenn

"When untreated greywater is stored, it will turn septic, giving rise to offensive odours and providing suitable conditions for microorganisms to multiply. Thermotolerant coliforms multiply between 10 and 100 times during the first 24 to 48 hours of storage. Therefore, untreated greywater must only be stored temporarily, for less than 24 hours, in a surge tank."
Ref: Storing grey water

Other sources also quote maximum storage time as 24 hours

http://www.savewater.com.au/how-to-save-water/in-the-garden/sustaining-gardens-in-dry-times/greywater

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Greywater_-_recycling_water_at_home

http://www.livinggreener.gov.au/water/sustainable-water-systems/greywater#do_and_dont_of_greywater_use


Mh