Simple Permaculture-Based Grey-Water Treatment System

In this episode, we return to Murray's tiny house on wheels in the Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia, where he has set up a clever grey water treatment system for his home based on permaculture principles.
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Grey Water Treatment is really important, but there isn't a lot of information out there about these systems, especially for off-the-grid tiny homes like this one. In this video, we go into detail about how the system works, and how it was built giving you all the information to tackle the task yourself should you with to build one.
Murray's system is affordable, easy to set up and can be done as a DIY project. The clean water which comes from the micro-wetland is then used in a series of wicking garden beds for growing organic food.
Read More: www.livingbiginatinyhouse.com/...
In this video, there's everything you need to know about how to set up a simple grey water treatment system for yourself!
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Music in this video: / brycelangston
'Living Big in a Tiny House' © 2018 Zyia Pictures Ltd

[@livingbig]

It's something a bit different this week! We often get asked how to deal with grey water in a tiny house and so when we saw Murray's ingenious system, we wanted to explore it in more detail. Let me know if you enjoy this video and would like to see more content like this on the channel! Thanks as always for watching, subscribing and supporting us with likes and comments. Cheers!

[@ImDBatty1]

Living Big In A Tiny House always love learning, so if you have more videos like this in the future, I'll certainly keep watching and learning! 👍😎👍 🖤🦇

[@rachel642]

Love this type of video too!

[@brissiemum2]

I really think you should do a Q&A video. You’ve seen so many tiny houses now. I’m sure many people would love to ask you many questions. Just thinking out loud!

[@rustedoakhomestead]

Living Big In A Tiny House Fantastic!! Keep em coming!!

[@LifeinaBus]

*This was a great addition to the channel and done really well just like everything you do Bryce!* _Well done sir and very cool system!!_ *I wonder if I could get a grey water system like this going inside my Skoolie?* -😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂-

[@adamharris8690]

I work in the wastewater industry and this is a way of treating wastewater as well, the root systems add a perfect ground for microorganisms to grow, and the many steps to the system are a perfect form of filtration separating the grease and then feeding it through rocks and then plants is actually a way of treating large scale wastewater.

[@KhanhLe-mb2jz]

Adam, do you know of a biological wastewater system for personal use?

[@Geenine44]

I’m guessing the product at the end could be put in a Berkey water filter to reuse for drinking water?

[@captainjax5809]

Its funny how ppl balk about it, when you discussing this with them in United States, especially if you live in rural environment!

[@alesandrabiasello]

What about toilet water?

[@MrNobody66]

Composting toilet. Requires no water

[@danroxau]

I had the exact same idea about 8 yrs ago. This is fantastic! As soon as I saw the fish, I knew I was on a winner! I have heavy clay soil, so instead of tubs, I can do it inground. Love it!

[@robyn4188]

Hello! This video just popped up next and I have read more comments here than any other video viewed. Fascinating and yesterday i saw the tiny home built by a 21year old and his father in the UK with something similar for grey water. Thank you for sharing this more detailed explanation. Permaculture is a beautiful harmonious way to be. ❤😊

[@Phlow]

Even, when you don't get as much views on these videos because people want to see tiny houses and vans and stuff, I much appreciate these informative, inspiring videos. Please keep mixing these videos with your »conventional« tours through other peoples home. That's why I come back and what makes your content interesting and lively. Thankyou!

[@livingbig]

Thanks for the feedback! I really appreciate it. I think content like this is really valuable and people will find it helpful which is why I hope to continue mixing in these videos every once in a while. :)

[@pinut187]

Living Big In A Tiny House definitely think this type of content adds a lot of added value. Please keep on adding this type of content.

[@iteerrex8166]

The utilities are as important as the house itself, water, sewer, gas, electricity and so on. Its like saying I wana hear about the car but not its engine or tires.

[@GlorifiedGremlin]

@@livingbig It absolutely is valuable. 4 years later and I'm here considering using the same system

[@mariad4183]

This man is a GENIUS! He has truly designed a piece of heaven here! xoxo

[@Sandy_Me]

This natural grey water treatment prototype should be implemented on bigger scale in apartments society and even for whole city. Thanks for sharing such stories.

i think the point here is - as he mentioned - you have to find your balance for the produced gray water and the size of your system - for a single house that is manageable - for larger communities i think it can get really difficult.. - so for whole city... you have to come up with really clever systems to take high and low times... and more important - you have to think about what you add to your water / how you use it and in the small direct take you know you eat the plants - so its more on your mind - if the system grows you are more disconnected from the outcome - and so it really difficult to get all people to follow the 'rules' so that the system can work.. (only as low as possible detergent use and only some that are biodegradable... - most of the normal things you can buy will kill the worms, micro-organisms and plant..)

[@Asplifaday]

There are tests out there using similar systems. The system shown in the video is basically a constructed wetland filter. These types of water treatment systems seem to work on small scale, for large scale there are a lot of nutrients that theorethically could be re-used.

[@captainjax5809]

I think in the cities ppl would contaminate it faster, then some place where you live in a smaller communities, where you actually have ppl who take care of it!

[@AutoNomades]

@@captainjax5809 Taxes for centralised water treatment should be low for people caring their own systemand and high for peoples conected to the "normal" network with more impact. As for any other - impacting others - things..

[@inkyguy]

@@AutoNomades, absolutely. We are charged a waste water fee for every gallon that COMES into the house. Someone with a system like this should not have to pay the discharge fee or at least a lower fee, because obviously, we all benefit from a municipal waste water system.

[@guillermococofrito9196]

100$ for a water treating system. Amazing, proof that housing done right is affordable to anyone. I will save this video.

[@janebishop5885]

So interesting and clever. Thanks so much for showing us a person who uses ingenuity to solve problems and maximize resources. A winner!

[@onlyberries]

It would be great to have more of this kind of content!I love watching your tiny house videos, but this practical stuff is so important too, and it can be of value for people who don't have a tiny house as well but want to live in a more eco friendly way

[@missannabelle248]

Interesting. I have personally found that the less complicated, less processes, to a grey water system to be the best. I researched different systems (both those that worked and those that failed) for nearly two years before I designed and built one for our home. It worked flawlessly for over five years (sold the property, so I have no idea if the new owners kept it), no grease trap required and little to no (some years) maintenance. I actually miss our grey water system, and wish we could have one where we live now. It so sad how much water is wasted!

[@ImDBatty1]

I'm glad you went back to show off more about Murray's land, very interesting stuff! ☺️ 🖤🦇

[@livingbig]

Thanks Batty!

[@ImDBatty1]

Living Big In A Tiny House no thank you my friend! 👍😎👍 🖤🦇

[@michealwintz852]

I don't know if I've ever told you how much I'm enjoying your show. Here in Texas U.S.A. we got a new variation of the tiny home. It's called shed to home. We aren't on wheels or homes are on wooden skids which are also the floor oooh rats can't think of the word. But they are the big boards that support your house. Please forgive me I'm a senior lady 64 going on 65 years this summer. So various companies are popping up like crazy making these custom sheds. So mine is 12 by 20 outside and 12 by 16 on the inside. I have a 4 foot porch that runs across the front of my house and is also where one of my 8 foot lofts begins. Then the other loft is at the back with 4 foot open between where I will hang my ceiling fan and where my stair cases will go up on the right hand side. I have a metal roof that makes my house look like a miniture barn. I adore my house have been in it almost a year lol and I just now decided what type of insulation I'm going to use. I'm from the north west so cold doesn't bother me like the heat dose cause of humidity. My house is nowhere close to being done but, you should make a new series about how much fun it is to do your own home even if your not a builder. First you design your home I went to Als Affordable Buildings. They sell Derksen sheds. They have their own financing for people like me who have rough credit. 5 years I own it and my payment is under $240.00 a month. I could have paid off sooner if I could afford the higher payment. I'm sure someone in Australia is doind it. If not come to Seguin Texas and see the great folks at Als. 💘 Ms. Michal

[@raulh5008]

Beautiful demonstration that we are not entitled to anything, and nature is not here for us, but the other way around. Coexistence at its finest. Take, but return.

[@s.e.fernandez4002]

I absolutely LIKED this video. It is such an inexpensive and practical way to filter and recycle our gray water. THANK YOU so much for sharing it!

[@theboofheads]

murray is literally my neighbour hes moved from this tiny house and building a new one by hand with his wife

[@emellefarmer5146]

Super important topic, would be great to see an on going series of grey water systems. Compared to black water/waste, grey water is less discussed.

[@boulderingrocks2]

I am about to move off grid to 64 acres I recently acquired and I'm so excited to use this plan to set up my grey water system! I can't thank you enough for sharing this in such an easy to follow way! I'll admit that I wish that I could have seen a little bit more of the piping (where they go in and out of the wicking beds, what size pipe to use and why, etc.) But I think that I can work with what I've got here to start a sustainable system! THANK YOU!

[@MariaChelidoni]

In my country (Greece) we say " the difference is in the details". The man has put a lot of thought. Good job!

[@VitorMadeira]

Ok, this was like CHRISTMAS for me! Thank you so very much for this PRECIOUS present! I will definitely watch this video some 50 times more so I can follow the idea and do the same in my place. Once again: THANK YOU and greetings from Portugal.

[@Shadow2084]

Very cool - awesome information. Murray is a doer and definitely not a follower, that's for sure. Thanks Bryce - you always amaze me! Take care my friend. ;)

[@anitamitchell3452]

Enjoyed the step by step process, I would like to mention I like to reuse the water I boil veggies in to water my plants also. If you're going to boil away the nutrients then I figured the other plants would like to have them back. It's always worked out nicely for me and my plants. Thank you for the video.

[@Ad_Asterisk]

I just hope people remembee to let it cool first to they don't blanche their plants

[@paganmoon8540]

I do the same thing

[@tommarsh4602]

Or u can pour boiling h20 on fire annt beds

[@MarlonVanderLinde]

Well this is one of the better greywater treatment videos I have seen. Thanks Murray and co.

[@windsunh2o]

i really loved this one. such a great idea for the channel exploring deeper into specific areas of tiny house/sustainable living. cheers, bryce!

[@lk11605n]

One of my favorite videos!! Please continue to make videos about grey water/black water systems and permaculture!!

[@katehodge5186]

All of your videos are wonderful, but this one is especially helpful. We're in the process of moving into a yurt, and this is exactly the kind of system I was looking for!

[@BrighidsGarden]

Really interesting, simple but very effective. Would love to see more of this kind of content. Thanks.

[@gurindersingh2103]

After looking for n number of videos, i can surely say this is the best and most comprehensive video.

[@jrussell243]

I really like the setup and your explanation of the system. I hope to try this in a desert climate in Arizona. Thanks so much for sharing your stuff!!

[@pkbrown58]

Thanks for helping us minimize our dependency on the grid.

[@tubularguynine]

Very informative! Wastewater providing sustenance for many different creatures AND himself...brilliant! Great video, Brice.

[@LaughingblueSu]

I am going to try this. It was well explained, and a great idea. More videos like this please.

[@justintylerlee585]

Thanks for sharing that. I'm planning on getting myself into a tiny house in the future and this will really help.

[@helgafalckenberg6635]

Great that u found back to this nice guy! Thanks for sharing Stay safe and healthy ❤️

[@MageThief]

Love this video, hope that you will make more similar videos in the future.

[@lisafreeman8691]

Great video. I'm about to build my own system and I appreciate this resource!

[@debbiejohnson6146]

I liked this video. I like your tiny house...so good to see not only that you film tiny homes all over the place but that you too live in one. I think that gives you a better understanding of what questions to ask. :)

[@joansmith3492]

This is fabulous. Gives me a lot to think about.

[@thiahostad3038]

Nice to live in a climate like this... Canada winters are brutal for this kind of project

[@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920]

would be interesting to see a system for an environment with freezing winters.

[@blackice214]

Wow I live in what people might consider a big home in Dallas that I bought recently but I find I don't need it all since I'm in my mid 20's this channel is giving me some ideas for my next home

[@briannacooper2628]

Awesome system and I was very glad to see it. Thank you!

[@symphytumtribe1582]

Hi Ya Bryce! =) Great job bub with your interviews. Always enjoy your way of making each video better all the time. Lovely you are, always fun and one of my favorites. Love from Cali =)

[@mrazik131]

What a smart guy beautiful garden simple tidy I have a lot to learn....thanks

[@chall1mk]

Way over my head but it's very worthwhile. A great video for those ready to build a system.

[@cwfan2]

Very interesting! I would never have been able to figure out this system.

[@maohuerta]

Non stop learning, thank you so much guys !!!

[@livingbig]

You're welcome! Glad you found it valuable!

[@maohuerta]

No, thank you for your awesome work !!!

[@Okeroa12]

Great video and very informative as I look into eco friendly grey water systems. Thank you for sharing!

[@Jenny_Little_Wren]

Inspirational stuff - might have to give this system a go myself one day!

[@barrybr1]

How chilled is Murray! I love this vid and all the ideas shown. Why aren't new houses incorporating this and old houses retrofitting. My god, this is a necessary step in using water efficiently in Australia. If building codes addressed this technique businesses would find ways to 'beautify' the apparatus. I feel like alot of folks are put off by the look of these systems. Surely we can figure this out.

[@borakim9817]

Oh wow this is unique I didnt thought of this way!

[@nessaelessar]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing! This is definitely something to try out in the future once I have a permanent parking spot!

[@TigerLilyGzzTLRoars]

Incredible!! Thanks for sharing. Am truly inspired.

[@TiwanetGmail]

Genius! I Swear I never ever seen the great thing like this before!

[@vancamerawoman7399]

Brilliant indeed 😊 I’d love a step by step tutorial on how to make this as wonderful as he has

[@amyharris7337]

Clever set up! Thanks for sharing.

[@pmsavenger]

For some reason youtube decided to stop notifying me about new uploads, or perhaps I hadn't just properly discovered the notification bell, but regardless, stumbling over this again makes my avoiding of studying for my exam so much better! And there's a lot of videos I haven't watched too! All of the procrastination! Really interesting to see how he dealt with the grey water, I've actualled been wondering a bit about how that works in the past.

[@livingbig]

Great that you have rediscovered us! I’m happy to help you procrastinate for your exam. :)

[@Omar_ayach]

KZbin only notifies youtubers you watch most often, i don't know exactly the time you need to spent not watching someone's videos to not get notified but that might be it ?

[@pmsavenger]

I've noticed that some channels sometimes gets removed from my feed if I spend a lot of time watching a new channel I just subscribed to. I've just started to use the notification bell, and then I don't have to worry anymore. Then I can watch Yuzuru Hanyu do hydroblading to my heats content and also enjoy all of the tiny houses!

[@Xolani_Khabazela]

Kat even myself I subscribed on this channel but I don't get regular notification I don't know why , I always get a video when it is over a week old. ,that annoys me !!

[@lovemetoknowme1115]

I've been having the same problem with the notifications. 🙄

[@constantineding8700]

When Murray started to till the soil in the worm bed, I was wondering whether Bryce would shake his hands firmly like he always do at the end of his video. Finally, the man like he always does, lived up to my expectation.

[@mezmos5866]

It's very informative. Hope everyone can use this method

[@stevel6939]

Just the info I am looking for. Thanks so much!

[@AGee2217]

He explained this so well.

[@Aheitchoo]

Wish I could shake your hand mate, that's a great system.

[@mrstratau6513]

Excellent depth of information.

[@caraoosterhouse7348]

Very cool! Thanks for posting!

[@SamMcinturff]

I really like this guy's system for having to do as little work as possible, lol. Like he said, you do your dishes, your plants are getting watered, and you get salad greens and herbs for your dinner that night off of the same system. I like it a lot.

[@HeidiDream]

This is epic! Teaching me so much!

[@terrymathis4213]

Great idea. Good stuff to learn.

[@oilspeculatorhater]

Really impressive, thank you for sharing.

[@yourva1345]

Thank you for this video! Very informative!

[@margeretheath597]

Super educational. Thank you!

[@jenniewilliamsmural]

I really love this inexpensive system

[@jcfree007]

incredible ideas

[@AmblingAloof]

I liked this one! Show us more low tech off grid systems, please. 👍

[@crochetingaroundnewzealand]

Great explanation!

[@davidschmidt270]

Set and forget.... beautiful

[@cathylynnpietranton]

awesome grey water system

[@glendalynnejanacek7558]

😊 thankyou i enjoyed the video. Ao clever

[@OdopaTruelove]

Thanks for the inspiration.

[@None12445]

If we all did this, what a clean World we would live in.👍🏼

[@ladykizzy123]

Beautiful

[@jaimeezquerra2219]

So easy. Amazing

[@lavernannmowatt7510]

I love your shows

[@aatt3209]

thank you for this informative video, very interesting and biocompatible way to recycle water.

[@hrdayaraishaya4006]

Hi love the system. Brilliant. Id really love to see the plumbing in side the first grease trap. To get the levels worked out.

[@katelane5820]

As plantas estão lindas. Ele realmente entende.

[@wanderbelle8915]

good morning from the Philippines 😍😊

[@ciceroaraujo5183]

Very inspiring

[@VerucaPumpkin]

Incredible.

[@tintunbirha]

Excellent. Typical Australian ingenuity, applying straight forward common sense to develop a simple workable water treatment system, with modular water storage facility. In looking up for the theory and practice of grey water treatments applicable for small homes, this was one of the best. Kudos to the technical journalist for asking exactly the questions that I would have wanted answers for. Great help.

[@danpozzi3307]

Great vid. Aesthetics is everything. Do you want the peaceful feeling in the garden along with it being functional

[@10AntsTapDancing]

This was very informative but for me it still lacked enough info. I live in suburbia in NZ and would like to try to experiment before deciding to sell up and go off grid. I have to learn a lot of practical skills like wood working etc before being confident I won't make a mess of it all. Keep on exploring the nitty gritty Bryce because knowing those details of everyday life is important :)

[@jennykirchner9989]

Theres a ton of info on the net about doing this.

[@10AntsTapDancing]

Carol Leigh, so true and I tend to shy away from it :) I will give it a go and Uncle Google will teach me what I don't know. Thanks for the encouragement :)

[@adamburnett3629]

I live is suburbia, I tend to just be super simple, I have the the shower grey water going directly into a a storage container (the overflow goes onto the grass) and once a day I water some fruit trees or the grass. Totally not legal, but that’s half the fun haha

[@10AntsTapDancing]

Adam Burnett oh yes there's nothing like sticking it to the powers that be. Every little victory over the fun police puts spice into life :)

[@eco_guardian]

I love this show - and what a brilliant design. Great work guys. Gonna implement some of this in my new build. Just a tiny tip: don't be afraid to continue building the boxes of your bathtubs up a bit to hide what they really are. You said aesthetics are important, right? Nothing says 'I'm a hick' like have bathtubs in your back yard.

[@Joseph-yc6qb]

That's just a thought mate. Embrace the look!

[@beyondthesea663]

Wow, awesome

[@gallopingg1]

BRILLIANT

[@user-gy4ul3be7i]

love it, thanks

[@alextubekis123]

thank you

[@Manal6195]

Amazing

[@jayantithomson913]

thankyou valuable information

[@santitaylor2841]

Thank you

[@MrRasZee]

Real nice..

[@royceroller7095]

Mine goes to banana circle and they love it

[@ErikGsson]

You can tell that he is happy inside.