Plumbing - The Three Stooges Version

Gray Water Systems for Sonoma

Gray water systems can be as simple as a rain barrel collecting and saving roof runoff or as complex as a system plumbed to code that separates out bath, sink and shower water for outdoor landscaping. As varied as they are, all gray water systems have one thing in common: they are designed for more efficient use of potable water.

California's Health and Safety Code, Section 17922.12, defines graywater as “untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge, has not been affected by infectious contaminated or unhealthy bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from contamination by unhealthful processing, manufacturing, or operation wastes. 'Graywater' includes but is not limited to wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines, and laundry tub". It does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers.

The average family of four produces more than 38,000 gallons of gray water per year, according to John Russell, a landscape contractor and owner of WaterSprout, an Oakland design-build company focusing on gray water and rainwater catchment systems. (See gray water article in San Jose Mercury News.)

That's a significant amount of water, and considering how much summer water use goes to outdoor irrigation, the potential for reducing overall water consumption by reusing gray water to water lawns and other landscaping is equally significant.

Fortunately, Sonoma County recently implemented changes making it easier to legally install gray water systems in the County. The three types of graywater systems currently allowed in Sonoma County are:
1) Clothes washer system (single connection only)
2) Simple system (less than 250 gallons per day)
3) Complex system (more than 250 gallons per day)

BENEFITS of HOME GRAY WATER SYSTEMS

:: Reduces your potable water use up to 40%
:: Reduces your water bill
:: Reduces the County’s energy consumption when less water needs to be processes and transported
:: Reduces demand on Russian River and groundwater sources
:: Helps protect water resources for future generations

THINGS TO CONSIDER

:: Graywater may contain pathogens
although researchers have found no documented cases
:: Systems that pond may provide breeding grounds for mosquitos
ponding is avoided with proper mulch basins
:: Salt accumulation may inhibit plant growth
use biodegradable soaps exclusively
:: Unfiltered systems accumulate solids and may clog system
be careful what you send down the drain or include a filter in your system
:: Minimal contact with graywater is recommended
water is diverted outside and underground
gray water is not permitted for use on above ground veggies or root crops
:: When ground is saturated, graywater must be diverted to site’s sewer disposal
simply switch your system off during the winter rainy season

INTERESTED IN HAVING A GRAY WATER SYSTEM AT YOUR HOUSE? FOLLOW THESE BASIC STEPS*:

1) Educate yourself on the design, installation, and maintenance requirements for a graywater system
2) Design your system or hire a licensed designer/contractor to design your system
3) If required, submit appropriate permit(s) and plan(s) to the local enforcement agency (see contact details listed below)
4) Install your system, obtain required inspection(s), and final permit
5) Maintain your system

*excerpted from Sonoma County's gray water systems brochure



For more information about gray water and Sonoma County, visit the Sonoma County Water Agency's web site at www.scwa.ca.gov/graywater

For more information about installing a gray water system at your home or business:
Unincorporated areas of Sonoma County: Visit PRMD on the web
City of Sonoma: Call 707-938-3681
City of Petaluma: Call 707-778-4301

Interested in reading more about gray water systems in the Bay Area?
See: Gray water systems growing in popularity, ingenuity and ease of installation, in the San Jose Mercury News

photos: Vianney Soto on flickr.com

Toilet Paper Goes Tubeless

Would you believe that 17 billion toilet paper tubes are produced annually in the United States? Apparently most people toss those tubes rather than recylce them, and those cast off paper tubes account for 160 million pounds of trash. Stretched end-to-end they would reach a length of more than a million miles - as far as from earth to the moon and back twice.

That's a lot of toilet paper tubes

And that's also why Kimberly-Clark, one of the biggest makers of household paper products decided to develop a tubeless toilet paper roll. They introduced at the end of last year in select outlets in the Northeast, Scotts Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper. It doesn't have that perfectly round hole through the middle, so handy for stashing bathroom miscellany (?!), but they do fit over the roller spindle and are good to the last square.

If the new tubeless rolls prove popular, K-C will distribute them more widely and perhaps adapt the same rolling technique to paper towels.

In the meantime? Recycle those tubes, people!

photo credit: grewlike

Cleaning Porcelain Enamel Fixtures

Smooth, clean porcelain enamel surfaces in a bathroom or kitchen can really make the room. Keeping those surfaces sparkling is key.

Porcelain is made by fusing powdered glass onto some sort of base (metal, glass, or tile) at a very high temperature. As the glass powder melts, it flows evenly across the surface, eventually cooling to form a very hard, smooth, durable finish. When cleaning this lovely smooth surface, it's important to keep in mind that while the material is extremely hard, it can still be chipped by hard blows and bumps or damaged by harsh abrasives and long-term use of acids.

Cleaning Porcelain Enamel

To start, simply wash porcelain with a dilute mixture of warm water and soap. Need a little extra? A paste made from warm water and baking soda will help to remove dirt and soap scum.

If a more ambitious cleaning is called for, there are some other options. In general, we caution against using strong commercial bathroom or surface cleaners (see our blog post Non Toxic Home Cleaning Alternatives), but many of these can be used on porcelain.

Chlorine or hydrogen peroxide bleach works well at removing tough stains. (Try the more eco-friendly hydrogen peroxide first.) Remember to wear gloves, always dilute them before using, and rinse them off after a few seconds of use. And, in case you were wondering, bleaches won't work on removing rust.

You can remove heavy deposits of dirt, grease, or soap scum with a solution of 1 tablespoon of a TSP (trisodium phosphate) substitute mixed with 1 gallon of hot water - just don't combine this with other cleaners. If you've tried something else first be sure to flush the area well with water first before switching to TSP.

And what if you do have rust stains? Well, there are a few options. Two fall squarely in the 'Not Good for Septic Systems OR the Environment' category.

ZUD Cleanser packs a little something extra to regular household cleansers and will remove rust and mineral deposits. The caution is that the oxalic acid in ZUD will wreak havoc with the biology in your septic system. So a big caution there.

The second un-friendly option is a proprietary chemical cleanser called The Works. It's been around a long time. The catch with it is that it contains hydrochloric acid - so you've definitely got to be careful using it, and it's not going to be good for septic systems.

For stubborn rust stains - particularly if you have a septic system - start with the more eco-friendly option of simple manual removal with a pumice stick, open weave sand cloth or similar gentle cleaning material. (See also: Shaw's Pads) Rust staining can come from hard water deposits or from rusting pipes and fixtures. Addressing either of those sources, if you can, will also help to minimize stains.

Cautions:
Most scouring powders have gritty particles that make tiny scratches in the surface of porcelain. They clean the surface but the tiny imperfections left in the porcelain's surface then catch more dirt, hard water deposits, and soap residue. Avoid using scouring powders, but if you must to remove a particularly stubborn stain, use the finest scouring powder you can find.

Acetic and muriatic acids can be used to remove some stains, but they can slowly disintegrate the surface coating of porcelain enamel, eventually attacking its metallic base. So a big caution on prolonged use of acids. If you do use an acid, apply briefly, rinse thoroughly, and be sure to wear rubber gloves.

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Thinking of restoring an old enamel tub or searching out vintage fixtures? You might be interested in the following online articles:

Restoring old tub often worthwhile, SF Chronicle
Restoring an Aging Bathtub, NY Times

photo credit: romana klee