A: Graywater shall not be used in spray irrigation, allowed to pond or runoff and shall not be discharged directly into or reach any storm sewer system or any surface body of water.
best practice is for grey water to terminate at a tree or flower bed under the surface in a french drain type setup with gravel and sand and a perforated pipe under the surface with 6-12" soil and plants above.
Can I Empty Grey Water Into a Drain? No! At least, you cannot empty grey water down just any drain.
On the contrary, grey water that you've stored for days and black water must always be disposed of in a dump spot. Empty your black water first and then the grey water next (this helps flush out your sewer hose). At the end of your holiday you should properly sanitise the tanks as well.
Whenever possible, dump your RV gray water at a dump station or sewage facility. Avoid contributing to environmental pollution by using biodegradable products.
Keeping the gray tank closed allows for better waste management and environmental considerations. By monitoring the tank's capacity and emptying it at appropriate intervals, RVers can ensure that it doesn't overflow or cause any plumbing problems.
Diversion devices allow the re-direction of household greywater through specialised plumbing fixtures to sub-surface irrigation pipes within your garden. Flows are usually controlled by a tap or switch, allowing the discharge to be directed to sewer during wet weather or when water is not required in the garden.
Unlike the water supplied by your local utility, grey water is rich in chemicals that feed microbes, so it cannot be allowed to flow into the gutters and storm sewer (which, in the Los Angeles basin, drains into the ocean). Nor do you want it pooling in your yard, where it would provide a breeding ground for mosquitos.
Rules can vary from state to state on the proper disposal or dumping of each type of water. Yet, when it comes to black water, a good general rule to follow is never dump black water unless it is at a designated septic or black water site.
Gray water is NOT sewage and may be discharged overboard without passage through an MSD or a holding tank. In fact, draining galley wastes into the MSD is not recommended, because food waste is much more difficult to decompose than the human sewage which the marine sanitation device is intended to handle.
Greywater treatment by mechanical systems is typically based on filtration or treatment with chemicals. In filtration, the aim is to remove impurities using filters, with typically a few or several filters in a row in order to guarantee good results.
Put simply, soil pipes are designed to carry soiled water (blackwater) from toilets, urinals, or bidets, and waste pipes are designed to carry wastewater (greywater) from sinks, showers, baths and washing machines down into the mains sewer (or a storage/treatment plant if you have an off-mains system).
Greywater is much cleaner than blackwater. While blackwater contains a lot of solid particles floating around (toilet paper, excrement), with greywater it is not the case. Instead, you'll find more chemicals that get into greywater because of washing powder, soaps, or detergents.
The good news is that most campgrounds allow you to dump fresh water tanks freely. As for your gray water and black water tanks, you'll need to find an RV dump station. Dumping gray and black water just anywhere is a big no no, so make sure to plan accordingly.
Black tanks are designed to hold urine; gray tanks typically are not. Always use high quality, bacteria-based tank treatments on both the gray and the black tank; how you use these treatments varies depending on how you are camping.
To reiterate, running a washing machine with a septic drainage system isn't the issue. It's how much water you push through to the tank and soakaway that's the big concern.
Grey water is untreated, non-disinfected household wastewater that does not include toilet waste. It may be sourced from showers, baths, and washing machines. WHEN CAN GREY WATER BE USED? Grey water can be safely used to water landscape plants and orchard trees.
Graywater shall be directed to and contained within an irrigation or disposal field. Ponding or runoff is prohibited and shall be considered a nuisance. Graywater may be released above the ground surface provided at least two (2) inches (51 mm) of mulch, rock, or soil, or a solid shield covers the release point.
Wastewater pipes should not be connected to the rainwater system. If the rainwater gutters and gullies are connected to the wastewater drain, rainwater could overwhelm the drain and cause flooding.
Some greywater may be applied directly from the sink to the garden or container field, receiving further treatment from soil life and plant roots. The use of non-toxic and low-sodium soap and personal care products is recommended to protect vegetation when reusing greywater for irrigation purposes.
The general rule of thumb is you'll be dumping every 3-5 days, again depending on the size of your tank, the number of people using the toilet and sinks, and how much water is used in the kitchen and the shower.
A gray water septic system is an essential part of septic systems. Gray water is the term used for water that does not come in contact with human waste. For instance, the water that goes down your drain in the kitchen sink is gray water, and the water in your toilet is considered black water.