Grey water filter

[Boots]

I have just found the most brilliant hardcopy article on filtering grey water, that I figure I just have to pass this info on.

There is a woman over here someplace, who has built an above ground natural filter system by recycling bathtubs!!!

She has about 20 of them all set on angles down a slope (and round a corner cos she had to go that way) so they cascade and the grey water is pumped into the top one which also collects rainwater from the shed roof.

The baths have a sediment base in which she has planted water plants, something reedy - she doesn't name it, and the water travels the course of the tubs as its added/flushed being naturally filtered by the plants!

The tubs also create a fence line for her, and her stock drink from the lower tubs, as they obviously deem them fit for drinking!

Am so impressed with this, as it solves a problem I have been trying to address for some time. I have a section of guttering that has come of my shed and the tank over there is beyond repair (Actually, it is now 2 goat houses and a half tank) and I have been losing water down the back of the hill where it is doing a wonderful job of watering my neighbours property. I have been trying to work out how to direct the water back over the top of our hill so it can travel our dam inlet, but the path runs through the bucks pen. All attempts at installing guttering, pipes and firehoses have been undone by the curious buck. Ha! This is the solution - and I also get to grow some water plants for him to eat!!!! Fantastic.

Have sent out the word that I need bath tubs... So hopefully, I will be able to round a few up. Figure I will only need about a half dozen to get it over the hill. Won't be using it to recycle grey water, as it a long way from the house, but it will solve the water transport problem. Others might be interested in the grey water bit though.

[caithnesscrofter]

a reed greywater system.... I like it! whereabouts did you read about it? sounds great! might be good idea to channel the water at the end into the root veg plot too.

[yugogypsy]

Hi Boots,

If you write or email to the University of British Columbia , here in Canada, they have a greywater system for irrigating all the flowers and shrubs on one section of the campus-

PLEASE NOTE: You CANNOT use greywater for veg-the soap residues etc are not good for the plants or us!

Lois

[contadino]

I have a good book (not too big big sufficient detail) called Create an Oasis with Grey Water that lists the plants to use for this sort of thing.

Glad to see someone talking sense about watering veg with grey water! There's a thread on another green forum with everyone saying "Yeah, lob it on. Those soapy residues may kill apids but they're good for humans."

Our plans are to run our grey water through a simple couple of straw traps, then use it to irrigate fodder crops (sigh, ok and flowers )

I think the reuse of old bathtubs is excellent.