Gray Water - Legal?

[timb]

Does anyone know for sure the legal status of (non-septic-system) gray water drains in their local areas? Or where a good place might be to look, ah... "anonomously"?

I have not been able to find a definitive answer to this for existing homes for Pennsylvania anywhere online. I'm sure the local SEO would know, but he's the last person I want to alert at the moment.

I have an upcoming subdivision request that will require the SEO to perform a dye test and inspection on the existing system. Currently, only the true "blackwater" drains to the septic - everything else goes "out back somewhere" in best 100-year-old farmhouse tradition. It would be a bit of work but not insurmountable to reroute things in the basement prior to the test to all go to the septic if that's required. However, since older family members "are sure" that the existing septic system is very limited in capacity - I don't want to do this if it's not actually (legally) required.

I can deal with working with the gray water if I can keep that seperate and still "be legal". This system has been this way for decades and generations. I know that separate black and gray water handling systems are approved for certain "alternative" on-lot treatment systems in new construction, but no where I've found does it spell out the deal for existing older homes.

Ideas?

Tim

[Fawteen]

Laws/Codes vary so much from place to place it's hard to say, but I'd expect that you're "grandfathered" as far as penalties go.

And you're right, you do NOT want to ask any official questions that you don't want to hear the answer to. BTDT, got the bills to prove it.

[AndyF]

I run the washing machine water separate from the septic and its OK with our Health Dept. They did an inspection before we bought this house and signed off on the system. This is in Ontario County NY. There's nothing wrong with asking a hypothetical question if you pitch it in terms of a house you are looking at.

One other issue you may run into though is with your plan to subdivide the property. At this point I expect you will have to map your existing drains and ensure that they are all properly set back from the new lot lines.

[pajoube]

What happens in the winter? The gray water must run freely but with cold weather how do you keep the line from freezing?
PJ

[StanleyinMd]

I run the washing machine water separate from the septic


Where does the gray water end up? On the lawn, into some type of pit, its own leach field? I also read somewhere that if you drain soapy water into a leach field directly it will clog up real quick due to the soap suds. Don't know if its true but I remember reading that somewhere.

[RonL]

Stanley

I have read that the problem with running laundry waste into a leach field is the fibers from the clothing clog the leach field. Clothing nowadays is mostly synthetic fibers that don't easily break down. The microfibers that wash away clog the leach field. There are companies that make filters for laundry waste. They claim that it greatly extends the life of a leach field. Makes sense to me.

RonL

[GaryM]

I think this is a unit like what you were thinking about:
http://www.laundry-alternative.com/septic1.html

[AndyF]

>> Where does the gray water end up? On the lawn, into some type of pit, its own leach field?

The gray water runs into a length of Ag drain pipe. My soil is a sandy loam and drainage is real good. The system has been in place for about 10 years and in the 2+ years we have been here we haven't had any problems with it.

[StanleyinMd]

>>>The gray water runs into a length of Ag drain pipe. My soil is a sandy loam and drainage is real good. <<<

The reason why I ask is I would like to do the same thing. Only problem is the "dirt" here isn't very sandy. So I don't know if some type of plastic barrel filled with rocks and plenty of holes in it buried a few feet in the ground would work. Sort of like a small leach pit.

[StanleyinMd]

>>>running laundry waste into a leach field is the fibers from the clothing clog the leach field.<<<

RonL, yes I heard the clothing, especially blue jeans, can cause problems. At the old house the washer emptied into a laundry sink but my wife and I used to connect a pair of nylons to the end of the washer hose to collect all the lint. Incredible amount. The problem with my new house is the discharge hose empties directly into a pvc pipe built into the drywall. There isn't any way to add a 'nylon' lint collector.

GaryM, I've seen your lint collection system elsewhere but was hoping for something less expensive and simpler to use. I talked to a man who has been installing septic systems for about 30 years now, he also cleans them, and he said that if you pump the septic at least every two years I should be fine.