Installing a Grey Water Harvesting System (Part 1) - #27

Water is a scarce resource here in Portugal so as part of our efforts to renovate and restore our old stone farm house we want to harvest as much grey water and rain water as possible. Join us in this video for one of the first steps of installing our grey water harvesting system: adding a diversion point between the grey water and black water which ultimately ends up in our septic tank.
However, in order to complete this piece of work we first need to undo and redo something we completed in a previous video. There's never a dull moment around here!
club.makedogrow.com

[@cindyconnour446]

I am watching this in 2024 and I truly appreciate you two.

[@vivienhill7934]

'soldier on'--your'e the best 'digger' on you tube without a doubt !

[@HelenRullesteg]

You have probably heard of Brad Lancaster in Tucson Arizona who is a water-saving specialist, he has books about saving and managing water in dry climates and several videos on KZbin from his own property in Tucson.

[@kenhunt5153]

I would add Watershed Mgmt Group in Tucson for greywater use. For plantings you can't use sodium based cleaning products. The salt will build up in the soil.

[@HelenRullesteg]

@@kenhunt5153 Brad specifically addresses this point and talks about which cleaning products he uses, I am sure he is totally on top of that issue : -)

[@kenhunt5153]

@@HelenRullesteg Yes. My statement is in regard to this video and those watching. I have met Brad at his home in Dunbar-Springs in the Old Pueblo.

[@chronicfish]

The only thing I dislike about your videos, is when it's time to "wrap it up"! 😢❤

[@MAKEDOGROW]

😂🤣😂

[@carolbulmer8253]

You two make the best informative episodes! The content and delivery are brilliant! Thank you😊👏👏👏

[@ninemoonplanet]

Geoff Lawton did/does work in Jordan where they capture as many drops of water as possible. It's under the series "Greening The Desert". Wicking beds for growing, grey water treatment, using reeds, filters. That series is amazing just to watch and see how a desert becomes a food forest. Might be some ideas there. From what I gather, there are many different ways, some effective, some just for "make do". I like the design of the system, and I too would have that "what if" running around my head until the piping was corrected.

[@stephenarthy6593]

You two work so hard please keep the vlogs coming and thank you for making my Saturday morning enjoyable

[@Ogma3bandcamp]

Ditto

[@gailh3048]

Who knew I’d become interested in grey water harvesting?! Love these renovation videos!

[@daddylaugh1983]

I've done water filtering before. A simple but effective method would be to use gravel, sand, activated charcoal filter. After this you can use an air pump to pump air into a box where there is essentially a spark plug sparking. This creates O3, ozone, that is the pumped into the holding water tank. The first filter gets rid of the large particles and the ozone kills pathogens.

[@schoppepetzer9267]

2:34 Love the tacticool gloves :)

[@jokeschaap3505]

Brave to do, brave to show, wise to explain!

[@jokeschaap3505]

Helofytenfilter

[@virginiaevans3046]

These people are absolutely amazing in their construction and remodeling abilities plus their physical strength for continual hard work. I admire them.

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

This is amazing and will be so efficient when complete...for years I have scooped the water out of a spent bath using buckets and used it to flush the toilet, water the garden etc...I'm a classy lady🙈🤣. Waste not want not👍💜

[@MAKEDOGROW]

😂🤣😂 we are equally classy with the bucket that sits in our shower to collect water before it heats up 😀

[@moiragoldsmith7052]

@@MAKEDOGROW Excellent. Good intentions are more than half the battle! 😁🥳💞

[@curiouscat3384]

So I guess you have to change your channel name to "Make. Do. Redo. Grow" ? LOL sorry I couldn't pass that up. I can laugh because I'm doing a major house and permaculture garden restoration/creation by myself and always tell people the reason it is taking so long is because I can't just do anything once - something always demands that I change/move/improve something I already thought I'd finished! I feel your pain and sympathize! Hang in there - we're all rooting for you :) Susan in NC, USA

[@andreacrashe9894]

*Glad you got your water issues all sorted... explaining it all so simply too.*

[@JustinBellingerTV]

"Lube me up!" - I tried so, so hard (fnar) not to laugh. Alas. Great video.

[@malcolmchannel4264]

hi love watching you guys we have a gray water systerm in our home it gos in to a tank out in the garden then pump up in to tank in the loft with bleach blocks then that feeds our toilet flush

[@howard922]

Drive/cycle around old portuguese villages you will see next to ruins very old cactus plants (can’t remember the name of the variety) which were used to filter the black water before these modern times of as fossas.

[@adrianamoules3446]

Wow you guys are amazing.

[@randomlyjessie9689]

This is what makes KZbin so great sometimes, posting recent videos of projects can lead to preventing future issues and it helps people like me learn as well. One big crowdsourcing platform for learning. Yes there are trolls but far and few in between hopefully. I would like to see a shirt that says make. Sometimes remake. do. Grow. 😂 for us newbies that will probably have a lot of issues doing a project like this. You guys continue to impress me with your ability to adapt and expand your skills daily. I could never imagine that someone could learn enough skills in taking a class to be able to tackle things of this nature. I always thought it would take years for each subject but you have inspired me to seek out some classes when we move so I can tackle some projects like plumbing on our own. Thanks for sharing all of this with us!

[@julianarevill6166]

I find it fascinating. Xx

[@PermaPen]

I do love your videos! Just the right combo of information and dry humour... And you two are such an effective team. Looks like great strides you're making here. It may not be relevant to your plans, but I've long been fascinated by Solar Water Disinfection - using the sun to sterilise water. You certainly have all the sun needed! There may be a difference between the water you 're happy to apply to tree roots and the water you'd want to use on lettuce...

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I’ve seen some systems using uv filtration but typically using mechanical sources, ie. a uv light. I wonder if there is a way to harness the sun naturally instead ... will do some research into that. Thanks for the idea 😃

[@nickskinner1482]

real Kudos to you both, recognise you made a mistake and own the problem. That's why I watch this channel.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

😀 real life renovation 😀

[@rb9580]

Looking good! Once it is all operational, keep an eye on the water flow in the "black" water system. It is possible to have too little water in that part of the system once you have diverted all the "grey" water, leading to a greater frequency of blockages and poorer functioning of the septic system. In all probability it will all be fine, but it does all depend on the volume and frequency of flushing and the *ahem* "contents"!

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Yep, it’s definitely one of the reasons we wanted to put the diverter in. Every now and then we can divert the whole house to the black run. We currently only have the toilet in use, but we’re careful to remember to dump extra buckets of water down it just in case

[@aimswanson1]

@@MAKEDOGROW This was my question too. I see you have already answered it.

[@bmunday]

@@MAKEDOGROW Maybe just grab a roof downspout and occasionally divert it into the blackwater line above the no reverse valve?

[@old_con]

Very interesting. 👍🏽😎

[@suekennard5766]

Great video. The grey water harvesting system is very interesting, looking forward to the next instalment to see the filtration system.

[@ericmehl1356]

Hi Guy, I was watching you use a shovel and you lifted the load with just your arms and back. Would heartily recommend that you bend your knees and lift with your gluts which is the strongest muscles of your body. I remember you said that you're not too flexible, but there are some small exercises to help you get some bend in your knees. I hope this will help you avoid long term back problems. Take care.

[@MartaRC32]

I just told them to be careful with the loads and their backs... sometimes you do need professionals to do some jobs in the renovations, just my opinion... Guy responded that their backs are just fine and for me to back off... he he he...

[@inelouw]

I read an interesting study from Ethiopia where they used a combination of locally available materials to filter laundry waste water. I'm fairly certain this would work for other greywater sources as well. Title of the study is "Laundry wastewater treatment using a combination of sand filter, bio-char and teff straw media" by Zaher Mundher Yaseen.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Thanks, I’ll look that up. I’ve read something similar from India where they used charcoal, gravel and sand in a 3 tank solution.

[@bmunday]

@@MAKEDOGROW many thousands (hundreds of?) of hippies, homesteaders and offgriders in the US have done this since the sixties. Ive drank the result of such medium-scale homestead filters and been amazed. the one I drank out of was designed to produce potable water. There are plans and analysis all over the place. but you have to replace the contents of the tanks, meaning you have to lift 55 gallon drums full of sand. to make a simple passive system you need to build a cascade ladder of tanks so you need elevation, maybe 3m? it all means youve got to lift a 55gal of crushed rock and or sand up to 2m every few years. and that you really need larger by volume stages to account for higher usage of the filter to get good lifetimes from the media

[@beatieswanepoel3004]

Hi guys, on a previous video Kylie was bottling soup and I thought that was interesting. I do a lot of bottling and decided to try the soup. I tried butternut soup yesterday and I will open a bottle in 2 weeks' time to see how it went. Hold thumbs! 🌹🐝🇿🇦

[@christophemeathrel2784]

Agh! If only everything in life was so simple. Grey, black, clear, cloudy and the aqua menu goes on. Plants can be simple or fussy little buggers. Keep on growing 🍊🍋🍎🍆🥦🥬🍅🌶🧄🥔🍑🫒 🍹🌦☔️

[@module79l28]

As a famous youtuber mechanic says "I love my job so much that I do it twice". 😄 Well, at least you got to know what a limecrete floor looks like underneath after drying out. 🙂

[@bassalh2025]

Very good idea separating Grey and Black water, especially in dry or semi-dry countries. To filter Grey water so it will be useful for irrigation, you need to build two tanks at least, the grey water flows to the first tank from the top, then another pipe below takes it to second tank. The reason for that is soap or other cleaning products float on top because it's oil based. That's been done in Morocco too.

[@PrepareYourBusinessForSale]

Yeah, a grease and silt trap. Both grease and silt can be recovered for composting.

[@arturrosa3166]

That sounded... interesting: "Portugal renovation project". Maybe we do need one. 🙂

[@debbiestreeter1046]

Of all the "Portugal Homesteaders" you two are my favorite!!

[@brettn4337]

G'day again from downunder Kylie and Guy. Looking forward to how you set up the grey water filtration system. These days most councils downunder require rainwater harvesting to have first flush diverters and all sorts of other things just to use the rainwater for irrigation. Growing up on the farm we drank the rainwater and the only filter was a piece of flyscreen before the water went into the tank. Oh how things have changed. Anyway keep up the good work 👍

[@jimmyb1451]

And a tablespoon of Kerosene to stop the mosquitoes. :)

[@robertgeorge2170]

This was a few years ago in Roatan, Honduras (so substantially more water flow - and occasional 3 feet of rain to flush the system) but at a resort project called Oceano, we built up a "natural" grey and black water treatment system; Both are pumped uphill once, to provide a gravity driven simplicity to the remaining system, and minimize the use of electricity to a pair of pumps, which depending on volume of your system could be solar battery powered(?). Each type of 'waste' water flows through independent systems all the way through, for different end uses: treated grey water to be reused as drinking water, treated black water to be mixed with excess treated grey water for irrigation, the black water solids going to a useful future as compost. Both grey and black begin their journey into a their dedicated separator, solids to the bottom, where they are periodically flushed out a diverter to a solids composting pit, liquids flow through out the top to the next stage. Next the liquids flow through a chamber where it is filtered through at least two stages of activated charcoal filters, the second filtering finer particles than the first, then bombarded with UV to kill or render bacteria unable to infect or reproduce (again, solar powered, of course). It doesn't remove bacteria, just makes for a less nasty response from your stomach if you drink it. Next step(s) are discharge the separated, filtered, and neutralized grey or black water out of the closed system, to the final filtration; through a series of contained marsh ponds planted with water loving greens with escalating densities of root growth and a wide variety of appetite for specific mineral / bacteria / nutrients.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Thanks for this detail, it’s fairly similar to what we’re considering though we’ll probably miss the uv. Good to know it works at a commercial level 😀

[@alexanderclarke2774]

Hi to you both, I now understand why you wanted to dig out the pipe, here in France glued joints are done with a collar that has 50mm each side of the glue joint. I see lots of comments on the grey water system, after 20years in waste water management I would suggest the Reed bed system. Reeds can turn settled sewage into a very clear usable water for use on plant irrigation, still watching every episode 👍

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Thanks, a reed bed solution has probably been highest on our list ... integrated into a water feature or aquatic zone (we do like things to look aesthetically pleasing) 😀

[@luminyam6145]

You are such an inspiration to me. I love how you just get on with things. You are amazing.

[@simonlewis6276]

You asked if anyone had previous experience of what you propose to do to filter your grey water .So for what it’s worth here is ours .All circumstances differ but we have found what we did long ago ,without much clue remarkably forgiving . Many years ago I built a filter bed on the end of our grey water harvesting pipework in southern Portugal ,It consists of a perforated plastic sewer pipe running in a trench lined with a waterproof membrane filled with Brita .By perforated I mean a pipe in which I drilled myriad holes .This actually replaced clay land drain pipes which were the original idea . This pipe is in a trench lined with a waterproof membrane again punctured at regular spaced intervals filled with a sharp sand corse brita mix ,About 2.5 ft deep and wide with a foot of brita/sand under the pipe and running some 150 plus yds at a steady shallow downward slope .. No real. guidance was available then that I knew of So it was an experiment I played by ear .But I had in mind creating the natural filtering process of a stream bed and the filtering action I had seen on my grandfathers Devon farm ,as a boy ,that had a stream running through the farm yard . At the end of this filter bed clear clean water emerges and goes into a holding tank for pumping through an irrigation system as and when required .The tank also has an overflow for when water is not required for irrigation in the winter . Since then we have added a wetland type reed pond for that waste water to run into when the irrigation is not required and the tank fills .The pond area and margins now supports a very noisy frog population in the spring and lots of vegetation so the water seems fine .It more or less dries to a mud bank in the summer . We never use any chemical cleaners in the Grey water system and avoid grease going down as well , Or the black water system either .Black water goes separately into a vented covered cess pit and breaks down naturally .Water from that also has a filter bed below it to run into ,which also emerges clear and clean and trickles down a field .But that only occurs in a wet winter .In summer we don’t have over flow from the black water system at all while the grey water filter bed and it’s vegetation also absorb a lot of water such that the volume emerging from it reduces greatly .Which defeats the object a bit ! All very simple and crude by todays standards but it has now worked for some 30 years .But maybe we might have to dig out and replace the brita and replace with clean at some point if it ever gets overwhelmed but it never has yet .In fact it seems to have improved with age as the 150 yards plus of filter bed consisting of a few tons of brita/sand have become colonized with the natural bacteria ,micro organisms and plant population that clean the water that gradually seeps through it .We have plenty of space and suitable topography for such a system .. To be honest we never even think about it anymore ,it just does it’s stuff .We are also parsimonious with water usage despite having a plentiful supply from the bore and have 3 bathrooms and two kitchens and a separate laundry room sending Grey water to our filter bed .The summers are very very dry and hot so the system is never overstretched by abundant water that also evaporates very fast in the summer .I am sure there are plenty of improvements that could be made but my philosophy is if it works leave well alone and it works fine ! But I am sure it would be something that many would now shake their heads about. ,

[@MAKEDOGROW]

This sounds excellent ... it has all the elements that are used in modern implementations that I’ve seen. Unfortunately we don’t really have too much ability to dig down (due to the existence of the fossa) but we’re thinking to implement an above ground / elevated version combined with a water feature and/or aquatic zone

[@simonlewis6276]

@@MAKEDOGROW Yes with hind sight I think we could have fed our grey water from the filter bed straight into a much bigger more elaborate pond and done away with the holding tank all together . The pond also catch’s winter rain for storage and can overflow in a wet winters so could be much bigger .And also we could have diverted some of the roof collected water that all now goes into cisternas into the pond as well .As we use cisterna water not only for the house but for garden watering .As I said we do have a bore as well but that requires a powerful 3phase electric pump and ain’t cheap to operate anymore .Then just drawn water from the much bigger pond for summer irrigation as required ,with a fine filter on the lift pipe to a solar powered electric pump or a submersible with a timed float switch if we really wanted to get fancy .However my years of experience here have taught me to keep things simple and idiot proof !For some reason technology that works fine elsewhere seems prone to giving up the ghost here at the worse possible time !cheers .

[@simonlewis6276]

Ps could you not move your black water Fossa out of the way ? Would not be that hard as less than half a day with a JCB digs the new hole bigger enough for the extra Toilets you propose and I would lead a grey water outlet that way also to keep solids moving if you are using low capacity toilet cisterns .And a few days building open jointed permeable block walls and making a lid with concrete flooring beams and cast infills a bit of rebar and and a cement skim for the top lid ,with hatch and inspection hatch and vent is soon done .Just a thought .

[@roydavis4811]

Hi. Your grey water line is connected to the house side of your soil pipe one way valve. This would mean in the event of your grey water system backing up it could divert into your soil pipe and possibly your house possibly. Roy

[@marilizevandermerwe8343]

You are such a blessing in explaining everything so properly!! Everybody laughs at me loving your vlogs so much as an old woman, who will never get the chance to implement what you are explaining so well.. I just want to say our highlight is when Kylie? Spelling, shouts "bye" in the end. Some vlogs I think you were too far away, it bothered my husband for a while, afterwards. So he was walking around and shouting "bye", I really thought he was nuts, until he explained to me, "she didn't shout "bye"..... Looking forward to your next pipe escapade.

[@moanahughes3593]

Well done yous! The learning and correction is priceless experience on your journey! 💥💯💥👍

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

Aside from the other suggestions, Sustainable Earth Technologies has some good videos.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Thanks .. I came across their videos and website a while back, will revisit them :)

[@monalingan9523]

You two have the most interesting content in your videos. I learn so much from watching you figure things out. I love your sense of humor too. Thank you for another enjoyable video.

[@nathaliepetit7434]

Hello. For the Grey water you have the youtube chain l'ôton'home. They have done this in video 38 and 39. It's in French but you can have subtitles in English I suppose. It's a very interesting channel.

[@tejolisboa]

Maltesers! Great job with the pipes and valves.

[@DommaPasce]

Great job!!! Have you thought to put more small inspection shafts to allow access to easily remove any obstructions to the pipes? Detergents and greases saponify easily and create damn skeins that clog everything especially if the slopes of the pipes are not so good.

[@ericmehl1356]

I have no doubts that you can do any and all planning and physical work since you both have do it before. I like that you use respirators, eye protection and ear protection. Just a heads up for your backs. Other than that just go for it. I enjoy seeing all of your progress, too. Parabéns menino e menina!

[@lieselotte521]

Please Kylie make sure that the return walve remains accessible because the rubber seal on the inside of the walve wears off after some years and reduces the functioning of the walve - I 'm talking of experience here - our newly installed return walve even needs a density checkup every 3 months. Good luck !

[@louisecooper4803]

Great video. Informative as usual. Thanks.

[@Strange-Viking]

Expat here; back in brazil when I worked in construction we used to light the remains of a cementbag on fire, used it to melt the pipe then when its soft and pliable push it over the other pipe, then quickly take it off again so it doesnt melt together and then add glue, but only for water mains and anything else under pressure. Sewage and rainwater piping too but only anything above ground. Under ground we always did with rubber seals due to the earth contracting. Now it doesnt freeze there so earth contraction is less but it does rain allot so... Its like picking rocks from your garden bed, you think you got them all and then next year you will have rocks in the same patch again. They keep getting pushed up, even though dirt and soil being solid too and rock being heavier. Has to do with a bigger surface area. Rubber seals eliminates the expansion and contraction issue caused by it as the pipes can move a bit. The same reason is why if when you lay any type of cable you lay a loop every 15mtrs or so Anoying you had to dig everything up but well worth eliminating the risk of rupture and having to do it anyways but well in a more shitty condition 😅

[@SwimCoach8]

Well done. I didn't realize you were using the gasketed pipe with a solvent. I thought it was a traditional pvc solvent joint pipe. I don't know what type of detergents are used in Portugal but dishwasher drainage is often considered black water. The high salt content of the dishwasher detergents can make it harmful to grey water systems. I love the back flow prevent valves and the three way diverter. The only experience I have with filtration systems is a local community that tried a multiple pond system. We get some nasty cold weather in Pennsylvania and many of the plantings in the filtration ponds froze and died. This caused some discharge of effluents into the water system and huge fines for the township.

[@celiasnyman2885]

Your videos are very unique and your great storytelling makes it exciting to watch.

[@sashacat53]

I very much enjoyed your informative video. Thanks

[@leestimis9264]

Don't poke the bear!! Lol.

[@joannecalcutt6724]

Love this channel

[@TexasHomesteaders]

Many places (Including where we live) won't allow harvesting of the kitchen sink water because of bacteria, etc but do allow laundry/bath water. Kitchen sink water is vile smelling because of the food particles so I'm glad they don't allow that. lol. Our laundry water is diverted to our garden. We will be capturing it and storing it soon as well as our bathwater so we can control the flow.

[@Ilovetruecrime545]

You’re both amazing.. love your channel! I hope it continues to grow

[@josemariaarregui8089]

Check resourses about reed beds on earthship homes..... they conbine the grease trap with the reed beds to filter the grey water with no need of an extra pump

[@cleaningtime8156]

You Guys doing such a great job on that property.

[@gaynor3976]

Every week there is progress in one way or another and I'm loving watching and learning from you both. Have a good weekend and week ahead xxx

[@glenyscallaghan1195]

Very good system, it works well 👋👋🧡🧡

[@NickAskew]

When I heard you saying that you needed to replace pipes where you had used PVC cement, my heart sank. I've used such pipes to direct rainwater into a barrel. Luckily everything is above ground. However it seems the joints I am using are designed solely for PVC cement. One thing I remember is the moment I discovered how quickly that stuff sets. I remember having about 10 seconds to get the joints at the right angles and luckily had planned ahead and marked each one with the correct angle.

[@annwilliams9519]

Wow Kylie you are brilliant. No offence Guy but she is good. Regards Ann

[@kebergify]

Very interesting topic! Looking forward to the next segment of filtration...or whatever is next!

[@adbc8737]

You two are a very good team! I am learning so much watching these videos…. Thank You!🌀💚🌀

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

I have never seen that type of pipe with rubber seal before ! They do sell 2 grades of 100mm (4") pipe in the US, one for pressure and one for "drain, waste, vent" (DWV). DWV does have a "bell" end so you don't need a coupler to join to pieces. The bell is longer.

[@ricardolandsman9465]

I've been following your blog for a while now and as much as criticism is good you seem to have a lot of people who have a lot of criticism to add. From my experience you guys are doing a great job. What's with the critics 🙄why not be positive and make suggestions like so many others have. Keep up the good work. Kylie you are a wonder woman. 💪👌👍❤️

[@LuLu-Oz]

Loved the reference to chocolate crackles 😂🤣 love your videos! Thanks for sharing. Best wishes from Sydney, Australia xx

[@marleenvanderwurff4402]

Interesting/ nice video👍😃

[@vincesalzer9855]

I have seen the grease trap close to the kitchen sink to keep the rest of the grey water system cleaner. The one way valves will have to be inspected for hair, etc, to eliminate potential backup. An overflow standpipe would be nice for the sealed septic.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Ah yes, an additional grease trap in the kitchen sounds like a great idea 😀

[@davidprocter3578]

Guys my experience in the building trade tells me to always test pipes prior to burial,, always use a conduit if at all possible, properly cemented pipe is longer lasting than silicon rubber seals which are more prone to failure over time and can often be damaged on installation but not fail for some time.I dont know whos work suggested seals are better but may well be partisan. Pipes carrying urine should not be on a too shallow a slope as prone to percipitating salts and blocking the pipe, had to rerun many pipes in the past due to this problem, the level of blockage is quite extraordinary particularly in pipes of two inches or less.

[@cameronmcarthur9951]

This was very interesting and I'm sure frstrating for you, but doing it the right way and perhaps the best way, will give you both peace of mind for all the years in front of you both. Good stuff and I wish you both great success in all your projects.

[@richardjones1118]

Well done with all your hard work . I've watched this from the beginning ! Ignore any nasty remarks your both doing an excellent job ! Learn from your mistakes ! Well done at correcting the pipe connection with the rubber seal ring ! Very best wishes from Richard Anthony Jones !

[@justinpeer5660]

If you don’t already have it, get hold of a book called Creating a Grey Water Oasis by Art Ludwig, he covers every aspect of grey water treatment.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Excellent, thankyou, we don’t have this one, but will soon 😀

[@HeatherNaturaly]

The kitchen sink and dishwasher are supposed to go into the black water due to the food particles, which rot and cause all kinds of issues for your grey water filter... Just a heads up...

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Kitchen waste can be filtered too, there are many system designs that tackle the issue you’ve described ... but it’s the reason we want to be sure to get it right 😀

[@joserego9210]

I always tough the rubber gasket was the seal no cement required. That’s how it works in Canada. Water mains and sewage all have gaskets and no cement required. Joints must be free to move without cracking.

[@donnabeard9344]

Ok now the seal system makes sense. At first I couldn’t figure out why glue wouldn’t work. That definitely was not enough gluing surface

[@machellep1]

I would keep the kitchen sink and dishwasher on the main line. That water can get black quite easily with waste.

[@mystiarnold6405]

In the US we call them back flow prevent or valve.

[@simonlewis6276]

Ah now I understand ! I hadn’t appreciated that you had glued a pipe actually designed for rubber seals .I used to heat over a mandrel and glue .Never had a leak .

[@vimafe60]

I think it will be better to put the grey water after the non return valve , because if you divert the water and if the pressure-of the big pipe is high the water will return to the house

[@helenaurelius-haddock4695]

Here in France, we're slowly having to upgrade our septic tanks, and one day (in the far distant future) we'll get onto "mains drainage". Currently we have a run off at the bottom of our field of the "cleaned" water that we share with our neighbours. However, one thing the "new" system will not allow is eaux pluviales (rain water) going into/ through the tank, probably for reasons of flooding out the tank as we do get torrential (if not very often) rains here. Ours currently bypasses the main tank, and we're looking to install saving tanks and restore the main tank that's above ground, but covered over. Thanks for sharing.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I think most systems are designed to keep grey and rain water separated for exactly the reason you mention ... a down pour very quickly creates issues, and typically water flows through the two systems at very different rates. We have a little more research/planning to do, but are hoping that we can store rainwater in a relatively small holding tank and then pump over to our other bigger tanks (yet to be fixed) or even go into our well (after we're certain they meet a certain purity level).

[@malcolmgreen2811]

I ran a grey water system into a holding tank underground outside the house, then used a solar powered pump to push that water through a gravel pit filter. This meant that the end water level was lower than the output pipes to irrigate the garden, so I chose to again solar pump water up higher into a 1000 lt supply tank from which I could control the water distribution direct to the garden areas. It was also a good place to introduce nutrient solutions when I wanted to boost garden growth and fully, & conviently monitor water & nutrient distribution.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I think that's pretty much what we're going to have to do because of the ground levels. We have large storage tanks (that need some work) which we think could work as that intermediate supply tank. How big was your holding tank? We're aware that unfiltered grey water shouldn't really be stored for more than 24 hours.

[@garethjones6711]

If you have designed your system to capture large particles so that they don't clog the system (you have a grease trap for the same purpose - I believe) then provided you are using eco friendly detergents etc you do not need a separate filter for the water it can run through a gravel/sand or reed bed and straight to your soil and plants.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

That’s our understanding too. Now we just have to design something that fits the space and slope that we have ... and find all the relevant materials of course (tends to be the most difficult part) 😀

[@scotty6435]

I don't know if it's too late to suggest but have you considered a diverter before it hits the tank? This will allow you to flush your plumbing with cleaning products if there's a blockage or clean with brushes without those solids making it into the tanks.

[@jimmyb1451]

From someone who lives on a property with both septic and grey water systems, this is probably the wisest suggestion in the entire comment section. @MAKE. DO. GROW.

[@bmunday]

not much room left. but very good thought. very.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

I’ve replied to a previous identical question about this .... we’ll be adding an ‘emergency release’ valve a little further down the grey run, in case of backups etc, but could also be used if we ever need to clean the system

[@jimmyb1451]

@@MAKEDOGROW I would suggest to you that you put that 'E-diverter' as close to the tank as possible. Roots, in time, will become the enemy, and chemicals the enemy of these systems, as I'm sure you're already aware. Doing so will mean that when it inevitably becomes a problem, Potassium hydroxide can be used to clear roots or anything else and flushed out to the ground somewhere without risk of upsetting/killing the good little tank bugs. Also, in the event of a crushed or destroyed pipe, it can be re-lined without having to dig it up (which can be cheaper depending on circumstance) but would require chemicals, which again... good little tank bugs. I only mention it because you can't foresee everything. For example, on the property I live on, the main black water line to the septic tank runs underneath the concrete driveway, and over the years has been broken and invaded by roots, which resulted in a crushed pipe 15 feet in from one side of the concrete, and 25 feet from the other side. Which means of course, quite an expensive repair, which (short of ripping up A LOT of concrete) will be impossible to blend back in on completion. The temporary solution for us is to get a plumber out periodically as needed, which is also quite expensive. Had a valve been installed at the tank, it would be a trivial and cheap operation to dump some drain cleaner into the pipe, shut at the tank end and leave it to eat it clear before diverting it away from the tank. Then a quick flush before returning it to service. Without any risk of killing the tank and causing even more problems. I like your setup though. Portugal is an amazing country, one I intend to move to and set up residence a bit later in life, when I can afford to do so!

[@wizzie2k]

As always, a very good and interesting video! The handle on the diverter is put on the wrong way. The handle should point in the direction the flow is going.

[@curiouscat3384]

Check out Andrew Millison, American Permaculture teacher. Lots of videos, educational and visits on Permaculture farms and restoration projects. One is called "Healing the Planet with Ponds", another is "This farm cracked the code: Water Wizard of Oregon". AND he's scheduled a "Water Summit" online workshop for October this year.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Thanks, added to our 'to-watch' list :)

[@bigkevcanb]

Kylie has too keep adding her belated her bye.

[@davidcoombe1811]

used to work in a plating shop seamed to remember some thing about read beds to clean the water this was at Gabriel's at kingskerswell Devon

[@BrokenBackMountains]

Reeds are used in Fife to filter water from old mineworkings. Works well. I believe reed beds are used extensively in India as well. I looked into it about 20 years ago as a solution when we lived in Lithuania but the land we had was not suitable.

[@gregj7916]

it does look very dry over there.... I guess average annual rainfall is falling.... neat explanation of the system...

[@DavidMorpurgo]

Would be cool to put an extra supply line in for the toilets so you can flush with the treated gray water

[@Ironballs69]

Guy plumbing innuendo super cut when?

[@mariushegli]

I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms

[@muckshifter]

When life throws you lemons, make lemonade. 😉

[@richardxxx8358]

Prince Charles at his Country place has something similar in theory ...but bigger. I saw something and remember a collecting pool that filters through a stone / brick / pebble wall then another level pool with Reed beds then drip collecting to another pool.

[@Aotruba]

👍😊👍

[@blackmonday738]

I bet u had a juicy drink after this, don't worry about lemons being thrown at u, u got tons or oranges!!🤙😄

[@klazyy641]

I have always wondered how (or 'if') you manage the soaps and detergents associated with washing, laundry, and cleaning before it is safe for the plants and/or critters who might have a thirst? So you use special cleansers that break down in the grey water process?

[@goodtogo3]

genius

[@pinussen]

There are sliding cuffs you can slide onto the pipe if you have two male parts and the pipe is immovable, like concreted in. Also there are cuffs that are not sliding (i.e. a stop in the middle) if you are able to move the pipes and fit it, slightly better fit. Another thing when putting those pipes in concrete (might not be applicable with the limecrete that is not as hard) is to get the more sturdy ones designed to be in concrete. I think they are marked pb. Also don't push them together completely to allow for some movement due to heat.

[@pinussen]

Forgot to say, great to follow your journey! Did a similar one 2014-2018 where we built our own house. Now I can't fathom the amount of work we did. Still not recovered :)