Sewerage Grey Treatment Low Energy

Buying in Rural Valencia Spain

When people decide to move to Spain, the things that they are wary of, are, amongst other things, being without the "comforts of home", i.e. mains electricity, water and drainage, and a telephone.  If the estate agent broaches the subject of solar power and/or deposit, or tank, water, some people are disinclined to even consider the possibilities, as solar power is thought of as "something new" and therefore to be avoided.  Deposit water supply is seen as returning to something akin to the Middle Ages. Our property came with none of the above, but the situation and style more than made up for this.  We were told that solar power was easily obtained, and although enquiries were made, by Peek at Spain SL, on our behalf, to see if mains water could be added, this proved not to be practicable, at least in the immediate future.  With their help, we contacted both a solar system installer, and the man who would be our water supplier, who both proved to be extremely helpful. When we first told people, both here and back in England, we were having this installed, they thought we were mad!  However, it is not such a new concept, nor as scary as people think.  Solar Power systems have been around for many years, and have continually improved, and provide totally "green" energy.  Within days of purchasing the house, work began to install the solar panels.  This was completed within the week, giving us more than enough power to run all the usual household appliances e.g. TV, fridge/freezer and washing machine (‘A' category recommended) computer, lighting, etc., enough for a 5 bed house. We also run the swimming pool pump and filtration system several times a day via the solar system.  Although installation costs are initially quite expensive, (for our system about 12,500 Euros) the EU gives grants of anything up to 50% for houses who are not already supplied by the National Grid.  These are applied for, and processed by, the supplier, and are not applicable for a self-installed system.  This year, 2005, the grant amount was around 24%.  Once installed, the system pays for itself, and there is the added advantage of NO BILLS!  There is also the reassurance that we have constant supply, other than those on the National Grid, whose supply sometimes fails in adverse weather conditions, or when too many appliances are used at once.

Award winning home builder for Mooresville NC, DV Wise Inc | DV Wise

According to EPA estimates, nearly 50% of the clean, potable water delivered for use inside an average home in the U.S. goes down the drain from sinks, showers, and washing machines. So finding a way to put this “lightly used” household wastewater—otherwise known as greywater—to work flushing toilets and irrigating landscaping could cut a home’s consumption in half.

Plumbers in Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia are already as familiar with installing greywater systems as they are bathtubs and kitchen sinks. But here in the United States, the adoption of on-site water recycling has only just gotten started. And as more cities and states explore and open up to greywater systems, the technology and the technicians to install it are becoming more available and affordable. Still, we’re a long way from common practice.

SHADES OF GREY

In broad strokes, greywater recycling systems come in three categories of complexity and cost: Untreated greywater used for deep-water (i.e., root-level) ornamental landscaping; filtered greywater to water landscape including vegetable gardens; and treated greywater for most non-potable uses such as flushing toilets.

Untreated Greywater Systems. The simplest and least expensive systems separate and drain greywater from sources such as the washing machine and shower, and then, using gravity, pipe this raw greywater to deep-water ornamental shrubs and trees. In some municipalities, such as San Francisco, a homeowner can install a small, simple greywater system (single-fixture and/or clothes-washer systems) without a permit. Many homeowners concerned with water consumption simply discharge washing machine or shower drains straight into garden troughs, but there exist legitimate public health concerns with surface application of raw greywater, especially on edible plants. For one, greywater can still contain organic compounds, such as fecal matter from soiled clothing, diapers, or bathing. Greywater can also contain high levels of phosphorus, good for the garden, but not rivers and lakes.

Therefore, most jurisdictions that permit the recycling of untreated greywater require it piped and disposed of below the frost line to deep-water ornamental trees and shrubs. All jurisdictions prohibit the storage of raw greywater; after 24 to 48 hours of fermentation it becomes septic blackwater. This lack of storage limits the practical application of untreated greywater as production and consumption do not always match. But a raw greywater system can cost under $300 in materials to plumb, so consequently many thousands of simple washing-machine-to-watering-can systems exist, some legal, most not.

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