Water and Waste Management Systems Part II
By Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell
Last week, I posted about water sources. This week, we’ll discuss what to do with the wastewater.
We put in a standard septic system with lateral lines that seep into the ground. We really didn’t have a choice, but for us, I think it was the best one anyway.
Although our land had been in my family, ownership was technically transferring, so we had to adhere to modern codes. Others in our area who have held their land prior to code laws are grandfathered and can even still build outhouses if they wish.
I believe we only had to have an acre to place a septic on our property when we build our Little House, but today our county requires at least three acres.
This happened with property my parents owned on another lake in Kansas as well. Landowners weren’t grandfathered when codes were made more restrictive and their 1- acre lot became virtually worthless on the real estate market.
Septic systems are also the most expensive, I believe ours cost about $4,000 nearly 7 years ago. We did have one installed bigger than recommended, which is a plus since we added another bathroom when we built the office. The load supported a second bath and if we hadn’t done that, we would have either had to replace the tank with a bigger model or tossed the idea of a second bath altogether.
We don’t have a gray water system, but I hope to install one at some point. We treat the septic once a month with RidX, as recommended and haven’t had any problems. We also haven’t had it pumped and we will most likely look into that this year.
We did have issues when they were digging for places where the septic would “perk,” (meaning the soil would drain the water) we ended up with more trees cleared than we wanted, as our project manager had them clear the trees before testing our first choice for a septic site, so it is advisable to have several sites tested if you want to keep trees in tact.
The placement of the septic system has caused us a few issues as you cannot put the tank or lateral lines anywhere you might have to drive over, or build over. As well, the placement of the septic was a huge issue when deciding where to dig the well, which had to be dug at least 1,000 yards from the septic and lines on a grade where the waste was not contaminating the well water. A little tricky on the side of a mountain.
Here are a couple of other ideas for waste disposal:
- Wastewater Lagoons: These are basically wastewater ponds and could use a standard septic system, but instead of having lateral lines that seep into the ground as ours does, the wastewater goes into a pond. When we were looking at property in Kansas, we looked at many rural properties with these. The plus side to this is that if it is used without the septic tank, it is more economical. The downside is you have to treat the water and well, you have a visible pond of wastewater on your property. Codes in your area may also not allow them for individual property owners.
- Composting Toilets: The one thing I couldn’t stand when we were campers was taking that portable toilet and then having to deal with the waste. Composting toilets are now more affordable, odorless and deals with waste in an environmentally friendly way.
We would like to hear about your wastewater systems.
Kerri’s Little House in the Big Woods is featured in the December/January issue of Mother Earth News starting on page 68. She blogs about life in 480-square feet at www.livinglargeinourlittlehouse.com
A low-cost alternative wastewater system is Watson Wick. I know in some parts of the country, like New Mexico, this system is legal. You can read more about Watson Wick at: http://bit.ly/7N1ud1
I read a lot about composting toilets on this site, but I’m also curious about incinerator toilets… can anyone compare them for me? I know how they work, I’m looking more for a list of pros/cons…
Thank you very much.
I haven’t researched these at all. Hopefully, someone here can help!
Oh- by the way, did you guys know that George Washington composted human waste? His outhouses were built with drawers in them so the waste could be easily re-used. The humanure was used on the flower garden, not on the veggie garden (he had cow manure for that…).
Just a little history tidbit for you.
Your “Wastewater Lagoon” notion is unsafe and unhealthy. Here in the ‘third world’ of Mexico you will see open sewer like that but it is only in the very worst of poverty, thankfully rare.
A plethora of Deadly Diseases are spread by open sewerage, much more than any swine flu or other boutique malady of the day.
An old fashion out house works well and is light years ahead of “sewerage in a pit”.
Please retract your statement!
Peter,
I didn’t suggest anyone put in a lagoon. This article wasn’t meant to suggest one system over another. However, lagoon systems do exist in the U.S. as we looked at many properties that had these types of wastewater systems. This article was only meant to inform people of the types of systems available. I don’t believe many municipalities would allow lagoon systems now, but someone who is buying property with a small house already constructed might find this type of system already there.
It is not just third world nations that pollute with an open sewer… Victoria British Columbia Canada’s sewer was/is dumped raw into the Straight of Juan De Fuca. There have been protests for as long as I can remember. I’ve heard they’ve recently decided to look into it but don’t know if they’ve actually done anything about it.
I really like posts lately on some of the technical aspects of tiny home living. I have always enjoyed seeing the different design ideas and the variety of homes but it is helpful to read some of the technical issues people deal with in making this change work and how they overcame them. Thanks for this.
Waste ponds or more appropriately termed, “FACULTATIVE PONDS”are engineered and not an end dumping point for waste water. I should have been spending the winter in Mexico, rebuilding one but that’s another story these by design have a anerobic layer at the bottom and aerobic layer at the top where wter is lifted and mixed with air from a pump which also helps to keep this from freezing in the winter.
Aerobic digesters like HOOT, bio-microbics FAST SYSTEM and ADVANTEX in most areas now are required as an alternative to passive septics but are more expensive yet require far less of a foot print for discharge and meet many new, more restrictive. environmental codes.
Here is the site for Incinolet, http://www.incinolet.com/ this has proven to be a perfect alternative where plumbing is difficult and where a simple gray water system can be used for other household waste. A simple solar system with battery back up can supply all the power needs for this with one or two people.
I will look into the incinolet more now as you mentioned a solar system can run it. The composting system has also been recommended by an old-timer in my preserve who feels it works great and is not stinky. I have been throwing powdered lime into the outhouse hole for smell control, but my daughter told me to get the lime pellets instead because the powdered stuff will drift up and sting a man’s “weenie”. (I was discreetly informed when her hubby visited). For now, the old outhouse is the best solution, but I am trying to plan the RIGHT way for when we put in a well.
If code will allow, a possible middle ground solution would be a composting toilet and a gray water holding tank . I think you could drain a lot of the gray water on the ground or a garden and not have the holding tank pumped very often. The biggest water users are the toilet and a shower so if you eliminate a flush toilet and keep your showers down to a gallon or two, plus divert some gray water you don’t need a big gray water holding tank.
Bill…. gypsycoach.com
I worked for Aquarobics International we built OEM waste water treatment systems. For situations for perminant instillations this is ideal for ground will not perk well. For areas that do not perk you install a Wisconsin mound system. Developed by the University of Wisconsin and universaly approved. Not the least expencive systems but the most environmentally sound for installation.
Also if you have a installed septic system that has clogged. A drum of hydrocloric acid will clear it.
I like septic systems and will probably stick with mine. However, I didn’t know that composting toilets were an option. You mentioned using them when camping and I think it sounds like a good place to try it. What kind of composting toilet do you recommend using?
One of the topics I wish they’d address more in the shows on tiny houses is waste disposal. As a person in the regulation end of things in New Mexico we are trying to write fair and effective regulations. There is a lot of sketchy info out there on what is and is not allowed. For example the comment about Watson Wicks above. There may be some that got permitted in the past but they are not a currently acceptable system. If your house is permanent not mobile you’d require a septic system of some type even if you primarily use a compost toilet or incinerator toilet. If it’s mobile there’s another set of requirements. Like a lot of what we are reading here know your state and local regulations before assuming anything.