General Wastewater Info
Solviva: Sustainable Solar-Dynamic Bio-Benign Design
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While designing my new home it became clear to me that I did not want a standard septic system. I had learned about the large amount of nitrogen that is contained in human waste, and that standard septic systems do not process this nitrogen but instead release most of it into the groundwater. And I knew that the nitrogen does not biodegrade or diminish in the groundwater, but instead travels unabated with the groundwater to the nearest lagoon, pond or harbor, no matter how far away. Once there, the first plants that react to the nitrogen enrichment are the algae, which consequently multiply explosively, thereby causing devastation to our ecosystems.
tandard on-site septic systems are constructed in accordance with the current laws of man, but these laws are in serious violation of the laws of Nature. In Nature all waste products - leaves, manure, dead animals - fall to Earth's surface. They are then rapidly absorbed and processed by the different decomposers who live in the top few inches of the skin of our planet, including earthworms and pill bugs and myriads of microscopic organisms. I am not advocating that we dispose of our wastewater on the surface, because this exposes pathogens which could lead to disease. But we can, and must, dispose of the wastewater within the top 12 inches of the surface, thus making it possible for the nutrients to be processed by living plants. I knew I did not want to waste the precious nutrients contained in the wastewater. I instead wanted to use them to enrich the surrounding trees, shrubs and flowers.
Solviva: Sustainable Solar-Dynamic Bio-Benign Design |
Leach field sewage disposal systems for the do-it-yourselfer
The wastewater your home produces is referred to as effluent and consists of blackwater (toilet waste) and greywater (kitchen, shower, sink, and laundry waste). Effluent flows directly from your house into a "watertight", underground, two compartment septic tank where solid waste settles into a sludge layer on the bottom and fats float to the top. Between these two scum layers is a zone of clarified liquid effluent which is internally piped to the second compartment of the septic tank for additional settling. As effluent fills the first compartment, clarified liquids are forced to leave the second compartment of the sewage tank and flow out to the leach field or leach pit. The typical leach field is a series of trenches where effluent is "purified" as it slowly percolates through the soil. A leach pit is a hole filled with rock for disposing of wastewater.
Leach field sewage disposal systems for the do-it-yourselfer |
Technical Manual: Design For Lifestyle & the Future- Wastewater Reuse
On-site wastewater re-use provides numerous opportunities to reduce water use within the home. At present, potable (drinkable) water is used for practically everything in the house and garden.
Wastewater re-use opportunities vary according to where you live. Urban households typically have a connection to a centralised, or reticulated, sewage system, whereas rural households manage their wastewater on-site.
We are literally flushing our drinking water down the toilet!
Consequently, the regulations concerning the treatment and re-use of wastewater vary according to your location. Check with your local council or state health authority for advice on the regulations in your area. In some States it is illegal to re-use wastewater in urban areas.
Technical Manual: Design For Lifestyle & the Future- Wastewater Reuse |
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