Gray Water System - Off Grid

Gray Water System Off Grid Style!
Come with us as we install a temporary, cheap gray water system on our off grid homestead.
How to get cheap, running water on your property using a natural spring as the source.
See The Whole Process here!
Digging The Spring:
• How to Dig an Off Grid...
Caping The Spring:
• How To Develop A Natur...
Installing Water Tanks:
• Build a Spring House -...
We have a NEW Spring Water Collection:
• Off Grid Natural Sprin...
#offgrid #steepinthewoods #springwater #graywater
About Us:
We are a small family striving to live off the grid in the Appalachian mountains on a 14 acre homestead. We aim to live sustainably & self sufficient while dedicating our minimalist lifestyle towards the preservation of nature. All our methods are done so with as small of a footprint as possible. We hope to inspire others on this mission of off grid living. Join the journey.
King of Spades Shovel:
amzn.to/33bSJFn
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Disclaimer: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Email: [e-mail]

[@SteepintheWoods]

Here's a link to our Spring Development Kit: steepinthewoods.com/shop/spring-development-kit-upcycled-water-collection-system/

[@maurymorrison6498]

When my Dad built his house in the country he had it plumbed so that the black water went into the septic tank and the grey water went through a series of perforated pipes set in trenches filled with gravel. 45 years later the septic has never had to be serviced at all. If I were you I would do the same. I know I am. Thanks for the video.

[@rainsofhealing]

That’s a very smart idea cut down the amount going into the septic tank excellent

[@Fat2Fit5k]

Very smart and cheap but effective way to solve a problem!!!!!

[@jeremiahhively3025]

I love the video, the less water you put through the septic the better so I recommend keeping the gray water system

[@jimbob-nm6xn]

I want one of them fancy Hollywood shovels...DANG!

[@Kit-Katts]

That's a fine lookin shovel.

[@SteepintheWoods]

Second to none!

[@Hollybank5]

Down home genius !! ✅

[@jamesdugger785]

Nice looking shovel great job on grey water

[@happyheart2414]

Wow didn't know could do this, Thank you for the knowledge.

[@MsJWheels]

Love your comments on stewardship. You are a kindred spirit. I have gray water for my laundry. Would like to have added bathtub and kitchen sink but wasn't practical.

[@SteepintheWoods]

Thank you! It works very well! But we don't use much water... We hope to have enough saved to connect to the septic soon.

[@MommaOG]

That sure is a fancy shovel.

[@dianecharles881]

I would never hook that sink water to a septic tank ever!!! Kitchen sink Water is good for the soil, my grandma just threw a dish pan of water right in her garden area !! Had a beautiful garden!!! 😂. Black water is totally different!!!

[@SteepintheWoods]

That's an idea! The majority of this winter will be getting gardens ready! Gardening is about all we like doing anymore.. Thanks for watching!!

[@Mountainrock70]

Kitchen sink water is black water.

[@Zoofactory]

Ain’t no weirdness goin’ on here…. Based. 👍

[@jerrydixon9343]

Very nice!

[@thomassparks36]

A "should to" lmao!!! I am adopting that right off the bat.

[@jamesgarland3606]

Its good to be the king..

[@fava7753]

Where there's a will there's a way . Your doing just fine there Josh . Just do it like it is . It works . . Keep up the excellent work and content . . 👍 .

[@SteepintheWoods]

There sure is! Anything is better then letting it dump on the ground!

[@fava7753]

@@SteepintheWoods exactly right . 👍 .

[@GlorifiedGremlin]

This is exactly what I plan on doing. The land I'm getting is too wet for normal septic, so it needs a 10-20k mound system. So I wanna get a fancy couple thousand dollar compost toilet that stores everything in a container outside, and then set up a greywater system until I can afford the septic

[@vivianwilliams2216]

That was a good idea, thanks for sharing! 😊👍💕💕💕

[@OBRfarm]

Very cool! Thank you sir

[@ericball1137]

I've got shovel envy

[@SteepintheWoods]

Haha I love that shovel! We have a hand full of really nice things, but not much, as you will see soon!

[@SimplyLesa]

Me too!

[@suecollado8696]

💓Great idea💓

[@charruza]

We call solutions like that "Hillbilly Engineering". Nicely done :)

[@SteepintheWoods]

It will do for now at least!

[@sam-and-angela]

Ya know... I totally missed the fact I might have been the first to put water in your new system? Trying out the fancy mcfance pants faucet?! 😱😂

[@SteepintheWoods]

Oh it's fancy alright!!

[@Jcrowley1255]

Thank you. Good luck with your project.

[@rustylilacfarm]

Subscribed! We are learning so much on self reliance watching your videos! Keep up the great work!

[@SteepintheWoods]

Welcome to the Journey!! That's our goal!

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

THANKS COOP ...

[@jodywho6696]

Thank You✨

[@theeppersonfamily1192]

good stuff man

[@cabinman]

Excellent setup. You can now take a shower and not flood the ground outside!

[@SteepintheWoods]

Haha unfortunately we will flood it some as we're going with an outdoor shower for the first bit.. But not with sink water!

[@JohnJewel]

cool. . I love digging a hole.

[@lechatbotte.]

Yes there is a huge difference. Sure beats the ole straight pipe. Gray water system being separate will allow your septic to last longer between pumps.

[@SteepintheWoods]

That it dose!

[@Mountainrock70]

No bleach and add rid x on a regular schedule and you’ll never need the septic pumped if its sized right!

[@lechatbotte.]

@@Mountainrock70 rid x just like all this gas additives lol the only good thing it does is make money for the company

[@Mountainrock70]

@@lechatbotte. No, you can tell a difference in a septic system that has Rid x and one that does not. Its a box full of poop eating bacteria! The head is a different color and more active. Ive been on septic systems for 30 years and never had to pump one. Ask a guy who pumps tanks. They will be the first to tell you how rid x works!

[@lechatbotte.]

@@Mountainrock70 well my hubby designed them, and all the people who pump here don’t recommend them. So spend your money it’s like buying STP for your car. And your should pump but suit yourself. I’ve done both rid x didn’t make a difference either way.

[@stevenbenavente1229]

Good job

[@Fat2Fit5k]

I’m back cuz I’m a tough ole root

[@Manal6195]

Thank you very much

[@irenebaker8263]

Learning lots from your videos! Nice to have a little helper! Thanks for sharing your journey! 👍🇨🇦

[@SteepintheWoods]

I'll keep making them if you keep watching! haha Many more on the way! I not much of one for sitting still, and starting this Friday we will be able to do so without the two hour commute!

[@irenebaker8263]

@@SteepintheWoods oh ! That's exciting! Wow is it move day?🤗

[@SteepintheWoods]

It is! Were more scared then excited at the moment.. But there comes a Time when you must do a thing, or stop talking about it I guess LOL!

[@donnadunlop]

New sub over from your brothers channel, enjoyed your vid.

[@SteepintheWoods]

Welcome to the Journey!!! Were just getting started!

[@olddave4833]

I would have put the vent pipe sticking up another 4 feet so it could be seen, may keep someone from tripping over it.

[@hhhh924]

i just made a grey water system myself. very similar but once I covered it it started to drain really slow.... is that why you added the vent?

[@Andluth]

Would you put something like RidX down this occasionally? Is that a bad idea?

[@garyhunter6030]

Just a tip. Keep you work shirt out of the chain saw when its running,, lol.

[@SteepintheWoods]

Angle grinder.

[@julieb9215]

That shirt thou! 🤣

[@fgonzalez78959]

Nice dirt..blackland what I got

[@Ndombiyekanyi]

If you don’t mind sharing, what brand is that container and how many gallons does it hold? I am interested in getting one, thanks!

[@SteepintheWoods]

This one is 15gal (just what I had on hand). However any plastic drum will work, the bigger it is the longer it will last, can also be placed horizontally to make the hole easier to dig. Thanks for watching! And welcome to the journey!

[@samdeters6162]

Do you foresee any issues with this system in climates like northern minnesota where temps can get down below -30?

[@SteepintheWoods]

Yes, you need to be aware of your frost line. It's still completely doable but you will require a deeper system. If the frost line is 16 in your tank needs to be below that level. As well as any uninsulated or unheated pipes once they leave your house. Other than that nothing else needs to change.

[@robertfrisby3201]

I live in Sandy Utah, we have had a bad winter with low snow pack and very little rain. They are already talking about water rationing. I would like to start a graywater system but I am worried about the soaps, detergents fabric softener and bleach. I don't see how this kind of system will get rid of all that. I have used eco friendly laundry detergents before and they did not get the clothes clean. I don't put most of my clothes in the dryer, I hang them, thus the need for fabric softener. This build would end up being expensive for me. I would have to replumb my whole house and then run pipe out to my garden area, not just totes and swimming pools in a line out through my whole back yard. Also how do you keep the system from freezing in the winter?

[@SteepintheWoods]

You would be correct, we don't use any of those, only castile soap, There are systems you could use that would catch most of the contaminates, though at some point they would need disposed of in one form or another.

[@tracyk3567]

Just use all environmentally safe soaps.

[@rainsofhealing]

Have you tried vinegar in your rinse water instead of fabric softener? Works great. Laundry chemicals found in fabric softeners and the like are actually very toxic to the body and can cause cancer and other health problems. These things aren’t regulated by agencies like many think. There’s a lot of very serious chemicals (man made) put into products that harm the body that we don’t even think about. Blessings to you!

[@johncoleman1935]

Our old farm came with some gray water setup. Currently all the gray water goes directly to trees and larger shrubs. They don't seem to mind a bit. No problems either. Only thing going to septic is toilet's. We are in a severe drought area and have been for years now.

[@johncoleman1935]

Also no problem with freezing as the pipe(s) should be empty after the water passes through, hence nothing to freeze

[@Liberty_Tree]

Everybody's got sand. Not here in the Canadian Shield.

[@carolynsilvers9999]

Does the depth depend on ground freeze level?

[@SteepintheWoods]

Yes, it does. From most of the country that's one foot or less. However if you're in some of the far reaches you will want to go down a little more.

[@Skashoon]

Is this a temporary setup? J/K, I got it the first time! (Most children aren’t going to be watching this, nor do they care or understand.)

[@claytonsimplot9554]

How long has this temporary system been used?

[@SteepintheWoods]

No idea.. We used it while we were there. - But who knows whether the people we sold it to continue to use it or not?

[@paulviola4582]

How much water will that handle a day

[@snafutimes6883]

Would this system be ok for urine only for long term use?

[@MapleMarmite]

Nice set up! I’ve been thinking about one of those for the washer to drain to here. Our septic is a bit of an unknown as it was already on the property. We hooked to it and gave it a go and seems good but washers put a lot of water into small septics so, as we use biodegradable detergent, this would work, I think. Probably need a bit bigger barrel, though. What was the name of your shovel? I’ll look into it - give myself a scare with price, no doubt! Thanks for the upload. 👍🏻

[@SteepintheWoods]

It's just a matter of creating empty space with gravel under the ground.. If I were to do a much bigger one I would take a 55 gallon drum split it in half, lay them face down, and connect the two. "King of spades" It is by far the best shovel I've had the pleasure of using! We don't own much but we have a handful of nice tools. I also have a very nice ax courtesy of the same dude haha I'm going to be using it about as often! Still missing a good knife, but found the one I want, just a matter of getting it haha The channel will slowly shift into herbology, gardening, wild crafting etc. Those are our true Passions, but as of yet we've been too busy trying to build and relocate to exercise any of them lately..

[@stevemachen3509]

ain't nothing weird going on here......lmao