Tiny go Lightly

Living sustainably and designing my lifestyle to be meaningful and low impact. My story of building and living in a tiny house, in Gippsland, Victoria

  • About
  • Book a visit
  • Events & Media
  • Gallery
Environment, Plumbing  /  June 4, 2017

Grey Water System

by tinygolightly

The weekend grey water workshop was a big success thanks to everyone who came to help. Many hands certainly do make light work! Special mention to my wonderful Dad who managed to escape the group pic.

This weekend we were working on my grey water system. The idea was to set up a filtration system, so that the water that comes out of my house (from the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and the shower) is cleaned and ready to be reused on the garden. This reduces waste and also means my tiny house can safely process my waste water without being connected to services like septic.

What is grey water?

Grey water is waste water from the house that does not contain any faecal matter (no toilet water!). Any water that contains faecal matter is called black water and is not safe to reuse in the same way as grey water. Grey water systems commonly use water from the laundry, and sometimes also treat water from kitchen and bathroom sinks.

I watched a few videos on grey water systems and it seems that there are lots of ways you can set up self-contained filters to clean the water for reuse. I found this image a while ago (credit to Ecoedge), right about the time that I bought four old potato crates. It seemed like a perfect use for the crates and less messing around than trying to make an in-ground system.

How the layers work

The box has five layers to create the filter. The first layer to go in will be the last layer in the system, as water falls from the top to the bottom.

  1. Plastic

    First thing to go in the box was plastic, to waterproof the system. We pinned the plastic to the box with some left over house wrap tacks. Dad donated a stash of old plastic that he’d salvaged ages ago for creating a water feature that worked a treat.

  2. Carpet

    I saw this on a video for creating wicking beds actually. The carpet is to stop any rocks poking holes the plastic. The water will pass through the carpet, but this also forms part of the outer ‘waterproof’ layer around the outside of the system.

  3. Rock

    Scoria went in next, to create drainage for the water as it falls to the bottom of the box. Getting the rock up to the system was an adventure in itself, the mower struggled a bit with the hills (and reversing, as pictured here), but we got there in the end.

  1. Sand

    Sand will act as a fine filter in the box, collecting any little particles that might still be in the water as it reaches this layer. I bought the sand from a local garden supplies shop. I’m not sure what kind of sand works best in this kind of system – whether it’s best to use something coarse or fine. I went with triple washed (sandpit) sand because that’s what the guy at the shop recommended and it was the finest sand, better for catching left overs I figure. Also, the kids are keen to use the leftovers for their own project – sand pit time?

  1. Soil

    The soil has water plants growing that will suck up the nutrients from the water as it comes into the box. At some stage I’ll try and introduce some compost worms in this layer as well to break down any chunky bits that come out with the water. The challenge there might be having enough food for the worms! For now, hopefully the plants will do enough of a job.

Drainage

The other key element of the system is having somewhere for the water to drain out once it has passed through all layers of the system. We cut a hole in the bottom of the box and used some left over plumbing pipe to create an outlet where I can catch the clean water. The pipe passes through the plastic and the carpet, with a clear opening in the box for the water to run out of when it reaches the bottom of the system. Some old aggie pipe over end of the outlet protects it from any rocks getting in and blocking it up. Then I taped the plastic around the pipe (with house wrap tape) to keep it as waterproof as possible.

I will also add a hose on the pipe where it comes into the box. This will allow me to move the end of the hose around the box and make sure there is an even spread of water and grey water waste material.

The system is bit of an experiment I’m not sure how important the technical details are – such as how deep each layer needs to be. We made educated guesses and went for roughly 300mm of each layer, plus a little extra rock on the bottom. I figure I’ll find out sooner rather than later if it doesn’t work!

Again, I owe everyone a massive thank you for the extra help, it was a relaxed, fun and very productive day. All in all, I’d say the tiny’s first working bee was a giant success!

 

Tags

  • DIY
  • grey water
  • off grid
  • permaculture
  • THOW
  • tiny house
  • water
  • workshop

Post navigation

Beginner mistakes for a sliding door
Show me the money

Related posts

Going off grid part 1: Water
Plumbing, Uncategorized  /  October 24, 2016
by tinygolightly  /  3 Comments

Going off grid part 1: Water

That time my toilet overflowed
Plumbing  /  May 5, 2017
by tinygolightly  /  2 Comments

That time my toilet overflowed

Why I’m not going ‘Zero Waste’
Environment, Food, Zero Waste  /  May 15, 2017
by tinygolightly  /  1 Comment

Why I’m not going ‘Zero Waste’

2 comments

  • Zoe
    November 14, 2018

    Hi, just found your article and love it! We’re thinking of something similar for our grey water and wondered how well this worked for you? Would you do anything differently next time? Many thanks Zoe

    Reply
    • tinygolightly
      November 28, 2018

      Hey Zoe,
      So far so good! I haven’t tested the soil or anything in my grey water box, but the plants in there are growing wild and there’s very little water that actually ever drains out of the bottom, so I take that as a good sign. I’ve since read that it’s good to give the soil and plants a break every 12 months or so by moving the outlet, so perhaps if it was for a long term set up I’d plan for a second box eventually. Also, I’d use coarser sand below the soil! But other than that, I’m pretty happy with things over all. Good luck! 🙂

      Reply

Share your thoughts Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Facebook feed

3 years ago
Timeline Photos

I don’t know what feels more luxurious, having a towel rail in the tiny house or owning more than two towels!

What amazes me more than how much stuff you can live without, is how much stuff you need to live in a regular house. This was put into perspective doubly when family came to stay from interstate recently. With 6 adults and a toddler in the house, suddenly our two sets of sheets and 4 towels (already double what we had in the tiny!) was far from adequate. We ran out of cutlery, crockery and pillows. I forget the things people expect in a house, like a washing basket or a rubbish bin. Or a stash of kid’s toys. I feel like we’ve spent the last 8 months collecting things to try and make this house functional and comfortable, but we’re definitely trying to walk the line between those things and falling into the trap of needing ‘stuff’. We have brought a lot of the tiny house lessons into this house and it works for us. But having a space that is welcoming and comfortable for other people is sometimes a different task again - it’s not all about us. And it’s often not until your partner’s mother asks where the laundry basket is and you hand her a shopping bag that you reflect on these things 😬

Finishing the tiny also means thinking of other people. Sure, we didn’t mind hanging our towels in the shower or over the clothes drawers, but probably some people will. Sure, we managed just fine on one towel each most of the time, but that is also a personal choice. As we ready the tiny for its new stage in life, I am trying to look at things from different perspectives. And rather than marvelling at how little we needed, I am instead marvelling at how much it seems we can’t do without!

#minimalism #tinyhouse #bathroom #stuff #freshtowels #diy #airbnb #towelrail #progress #details
... See more

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
3 years ago
Timeline Photos

My weekend fashion soars to new heights at the tiny. Rocking my Michael Long foundation jumper, toolbelt from the hardware corporation that shall not be named, boots from a local plumbing shop and my well loved hiking pants that are now marked by paint, varnish and a wild concoction of who knows what else. Also, a cap I found this morning.

Sunlight and green green grass by Mother Nature, deck by Mick and photo by insta boyfriend. For once, serving his purpose.
Happy Sunday, folks!

Peace, love and sunshine
☀️✌🏼✌🏽✌🏾☀️

#peaceandlove #farshion #womenwhobuild #toolbeltswag #michaellongfoundation #alwayswasalwayswillbe
... See more

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
3 years ago
Timeline Photos

Some nights I dream of straight lines and saw dust.

There’s poetry in the building process. I’m no poet but I feel connected and creative in this space, and it becomes easy to find beauty in unexpected places. ... See more

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
3 years ago

Would you like a tour of Tiny go Lightly and Ravenscroft farm? Are you interested in learning more about sustainable farming and regenerative agriculture practices? Do you love being outside and have some time on a weekend to help support a local project?

If the answer was yes to any of these questions, please consider coming along to a tree planting day at Ravenscroft farm in Tanjil South. I'll be there and happy to discuss any tiny house questions you have while we plant!

Date: Sunday 8th September, 2019

10:30 am - arrival for coffee and cake, followed by planting

1:00pm ish – Lunch

Post lunch – tour of farm featuring revegetation, tiny house and other activities

Please bring: warm clothes, gloves.

If you're keen to join us, please get in touch for the farm address and further details. Hope to see you there!
... See more

LIKE
LOVE
HAHA
WOW
SAD
ANGRY
View on facebook
« ‹ 1 of 77 › »
  • Elara Pro by LyraThemes.com
  • Made by LyraThemes.com