I live in an area were the water table is very high. This is having a direct impact on my septic system. It`s overflowing. I am trying to find out if I can divert water from the bath, laundry, dishwasher etc... to my sump pump. The sump pump is drained outside in a forest. Would that be polluting ?

-- Francois Caron (wwfrancois.marie@sympatico.ca), January 21, 2002

Answers

Yes, if it then drains into someone's well or potable water supply.

-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

You should check on the local laws....what you want to do is called grey water...and in our area it is legal to do so...but if your law allows or if there is no law....pump away.....LOL...

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

Hi, We drain our gray water into the herb garden and to the banana plants. I don't see how it would be polluting anything,I'm sure most of it is used by the plants. Daryll

-- Daryll in NW Fla (twincrk@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002.

You are responsible for any and all water coming from your home. DEP, DEQ, your state, your county, whichever is the governing authority will fine you. Best to take care of the septic system first, before anyone finds out it's corrupted. Call a septic contractor tonight and get that thing fixed, even if it means a complete replacement.

Fines in my state start at $1,000 per day of violation.

-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

Depends on your local regs. In some parts of Missouri, what you are doing is normal and legal in rural areas.

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002.

Which begs the question--can you make YOUR OWN laundry soap and have it be non-toxic? Is borax, washing soda or fels naptha soap toxic?

Is there a non-toxic HOMEMADE dish detergent?

There are ways to filter the water outside so by the time it reaches the creek or whatever, the bad stuff has been filtered out:

What do you think of this site? http://www.thenaturalhome.com/greywater.html

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 21, 2002.

Also remember that just because something is legal, doesn't necessarily make it the best solution for your situation. And put yourself in a future buyer's shoes for a moment. Would you want to buy a property in the situation you just described? I sure wouldn't. What if that buyer planted edibles in the area you were draining to, and someone got sick? Wouldn't you feel bad about that?

I agree with the person who said fix the septic, even if it costs big money--if you don't, your property could be condemned and you would not be able to live there anymore.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 21, 2002.

Ann: Regarding non-toxic soaps. Only one I'm aware of is Ivory bar soap. 20 Mule Team Borax, (www.purex.com) is still considered toxic in the powder form. But after it goes thru the washing machine, I doubt it has much strength left.

-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

Real soap, like castile for example (not detergent) is usually considered to be non-toxic.

Although on the other hand, detergents (this includes hand dish soap) do a much better job of cleaning, so you don't need to use as much, and if you were chintzy with its use (like using a frontloading washing machine which not only saves water but detergent as well), the effect on the groundwater would probably be about the same. That said, there are several brands that are supposed to be better environmentally than others (Seventh Generation, Trader Joe's brand, etc.), just read the labels. Something to consider.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 21, 2002.

Ann: Pt 2 of your question with regards to a greywater system. The one we use sends the greywater to a dry well, which in turn sends the filtered water to the hothouse.

There is an organized group of homes (really different) just west of Taos, NM, which I've had the privledge to stay for a week (winter break) called Le Muria. The group is called Earthship and the builder is Solar Survival...http://www.earthship.org/sys/sewage/sewage.htm

-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

I would put a very large tank in the basement for my grey water and then have a pump to fill the toilets from the tank. you then use half the water going to your septic. You may want to pump some grey water to the forest and have your septic catch up and dry a little then go back to the normal way. After all your septic is just doing the same thing but coverd with dirt.

-- (raines@rainesridgefarm.com), January 21, 2002.

We have a setup at our place because our septic is only about a 300 gallon tank. The drain from the laundry room sink, and washer drains into a 55 gallon drum in the basement. The drum has an overflow poised over the sump hole/pump, and the drum also has hole poked in the side to slowly drain the water into the sump hole. It pumps it somewhere out into our field. This was in service when we bought the place. As it is we have to have the septic pumped once a year, at least till we can afford $$$ to have it replaced.

-- Joyce Dingman (joycedingman@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.