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bronco
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2012 02:50am
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If someone can help me answer this? I would like to drain my portable shower water into my pit for my outhouse, at the lake. I've got good drainage and about a 12' pit. Is this a good idea or bad idea. Can someone help? Thanks
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VTweekender
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2012 04:17am
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Hi bronco, on a standard septic, it works much better when there is a seperate leach pit for greywater from shower/sink etc...because the soaps and bleach, detergents kill the bacteria that does the composting in the septic. That being said, an outhouse pit is an outhouse pit, its not ever going to be safe if there is a water table in the present. Adding more liquid to it though would probably worsten it, the liquid has to have somewhere to go eventually as its not going to perculate and possibly take some diseases with it.
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razmichael
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# Posted: 25 Jun 2012 08:36am
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generally considered a bad idea. A leeching pit for grey water is not difficult to build. Here are a couple of links to sites:
Leeching pit
Another
Your local code may have specific rules. Where I put in mine, they provided a small booklet with design examples. I used PT wood posts (the cheap rounded with flat sides type) to form the lattice and built up tight lid with PT fence boards I had around. All together it only took me about 4 hours to dig and build it (top couple of feet was clay but nice sand underneath for the drainage.
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TomChum
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2012 11:10am - Edited by: TomChum
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You're asking a very pertinent question here. Lots of folks need to decide whether to build an outhouse and the discussion is useful.
A 'dry' outhouse doesn't pollute the groundwater. You want it to be dry to reduce the smell too. Boys should pee outside. Girls too, if there's lots of places to hide. Outhouses polluting the groundwater is the KEY reason that they are illegal.
I'd sure hate to be in there using it when the water started dumping in. Wetting it is about the worst idea imaginable. Especially when it's so easy to build a leaching pit (far away from the outhouse).
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Is there a reason that you can't just run your "portable" shower water onto the ground? Being portable, it doesn't seem like a lot of water. How many showers per day are being "taken"? Is water pooling up now?
Shower water is not toxic - if it was you'd have to wear rubber booties to protect your feet.
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TheCabinCalls
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2012 01:22pm
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Don't waste your time. There are better uses for grey water.
Where are you getting your water from for the shower?
I have seen grey water used to water plants, run to a rain garden, stored and used to supply toilet water and car washing, etc.
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groingo
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2012 02:49pm
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This is pretty simple, shower water is grey water and toilet water is black water, you can make much better use of your grey water for gardening and such rather pouring into your outhouse pit which dilutes the good bacteria which is breaking your poop down generally mucking things up, keep the two separate which will make for a more "Harmonious Outcome".
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Xplorer
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2012 09:48pm
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We just stand on a pallet when taking our showers outside, grey water takes care of itself. 
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OwenChristensen
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# Posted: 26 Jun 2012 10:10pm
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Or run it into a drywell. Some use a barrel in the ground with holes or just a hole full of rocks should disapate the grey water.Like others have said, don't run it to the outhouse.
Owen
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exsailor
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2012 12:46pm
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TomChum
It seems like you might have an idea. Build a number 1 and 2 outhouse. Build a number 1 out house over a leach pit and then the dry outhouse for number 2. Perhaps build a single purpose house with 1 and 2 seats with the appropriate plumbing where necessary. It occurs to me this is getting over thought! LOL
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TomChum
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2012 05:00pm
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At our place the "number 1" outhouse is "the world" outside the "number2" outhouse. We need more bushes though.....
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Sustainusfarm
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2012 06:19pm
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I dont know about any of you but I cant do #2 then hold #1 till I change seats!! 
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Sustainusfarm
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2012 08:19pm
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Come on... that was funny....
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TomChum
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:06pm
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Sustainusfarm
....must be a girl...
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Sustainusfarm
Member
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# Posted: 28 Jun 2012 09:20pm
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TomChum....I dont know what to say...my ego is hurt now that you think Im a girl....Im not I say, Im not!  
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