I am planning to set up a darkroom in the country. I will be making RC and fiber prints, and processing film. I know that a septic system can't be used with photo chemicals, and I plan to bring all of my chemicals to a nearby city for proper disposal (developers and stop baths down the drain; fixers to a local photo lab for desilvering).

What about untreated wash water flowing into the environment? Is it safe? Do any of the forum participants have any experience with this type of situation? Any info that can be provided will be greatly appreciated.

-- John Brown (countryboy2@hotmail.com), December 20, 2001

Answers

I have a septic system and haven't had any problems with letting used developer, fixer, etc, down the drain. I'm not quite a pro-lab of course, I'm probably working once or twice a week at most and most of what I'm sending down the drain is extremely diluted by the time it gets there.

Kodak sells a desilvering bucket for used fixer. I bought one but haven't found any local authority willing to take the contents of the bucket -- probably more out of their ignorance than concern -- when full so I never used it.

-- David Parmet (david@parmet.net), December 20, 2001.

All the research I have read indicates just the opposite. Normal B&W photo chemicals are harmless to a septic system.

-- Arden Howell (serenisea@aol.com), December 20, 2001.

I've been using a septic system for 17 years now, and putting my developer and stop bath down the drain with no apparent problems. I bought an electric device called a Silver Saver (for about $39) that removes the silver from my used fix, after which I pour it down the drain also. Supposedly the company would send you a new device to collect the silver when your old one got full, but I think the company went out of business. I just save the silver particles in a jar and plan to offer them to a local jeweler to melt down in the future. Wash water flowing into the environment will be perfectly safe.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), December 21, 2001.