Toxic detergents in septic tank

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We are soon to purchase our first small holding in the UK. It has metered water and a septic tank. I've looked up all the archives and cannot quite find what I want to know, so here goes. If we are using (Neways) non toxic personal care products, cleaning products and washing detergent, and separated our grey water from the bath/shower, basin, and washing machine, could we reuse this water on the vegetable plot, or would the cleaners effect it too much. What if the water was filtered in some way, through a barrel of gravel for example. We will be trying to produce our food in an organic way but obviously we have to explore every sinario. Many thanks Alison

-- Alison Homa (sandybeach@bournemouth.co.uk), April 08, 2001

Answers

Alison, Many "organic cleaners" are made from natural materials such as coconut oil, lemon, vinegar and such. Those things may not hurt you but, they may have an affect on the pH levels of your garden. Ideally, your pH should be between 5.6 to 7. Chemicals or natural materials can alter that to the point where acid loving plants will not produce in 7 or above and akaline loving plants will not produce in 5.6 or less. In the past I was an Amway distributor. There products were organic too but, if you drank them you would get dirrhea. Sincerely, Ernest http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), April 09, 2001.

I was never very good at chemistry. Is there a way of neutralising the grey water, by running it through a filter of some sorts or am I trying to get too complicated? What if there was a moderfication on the plumbing, could the grey water be used for the toilet cistern, or would it get too clogged up? I don't want to ruin the balance in the septic tank but I also want to get best use of the water. Thanks Alison

-- Alison Homa (sandybeach@bournemouth.co.uk), April 09, 2001.

check out this web site. www.estd.wvu.edu . They also have a toll free #18006248301.Try the web site 1st. Also try www.nsfc.wvu.edu . You are checking out : National Small Flows Clearinghouse at West Virginia University.In Small Flows Quarterly magazine .volume 2,#1,winter 2001. on page 20 there's an article relating.Could also be on the web sites. Explore, everyone, explore.

-- Dan Urban (lyndadan@custertel.net), April 09, 2001.

Thanks Dan, I do try to research using the web but sometimes I don't know where to start because I don't really know what I am looking for is called. I thought like minded people here on the forum may have personal experience rather than theory.:) I tried to look up the site you gave but I could not get through. Maybe I was doing something wrong. Many thanks for your help. Alison

-- Alison Homa (sandybeach@bournemouth.co.uk), April 09, 2001.

Hi Dan and Allison, I tried the estdu web site too and couldn't get anywhere. I typed it in all differant ways. What are we forgetting Dan?

-- michelle (tsjheath@ainop.com), April 13, 2001.


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