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Grey Water: Finding Solutions in Nature

Grey Water: Finding Solutions in Nature . James Parker Alex Day JP Powers. http://becominglast.com/tag/dirty-water/. What goes down the drain?. Grey water is everything that goes down your drains, aside from human waste. Some grey water contaminates: Soap/Shampoo/Hygiene products

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Grey Water: Finding Solutions in Nature

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  1. Grey Water: Finding Solutions in Nature James Parker Alex Day JP Powers http://becominglast.com/tag/dirty-water/

  2. What goes down the drain? • Grey water is everything that goes down your drains, aside from human waste. • Some grey water contaminates: • Soap/Shampoo/Hygiene products • Food waste through in-sink disposals • Whatever is on you before you take a shower (yikes) • Anything else that you have ever dumped down the sink!

  3. How do we deal with Wastewater? • Water treatment facilities: Treatment centers designed to completely purify water through a multi-step process. Source: Pierce County Municipal

  4. The problem with Water Treatment • Energy intensive: Three Percent of total U.S. energy use for treating wastewater. • Grey water is 50-80% of total wastewater, which means 1.5-2.4% of total U.S. energy needs come from grey water management.

  5. How else do we deal with Wastewater? • “Drainfielding” – Filtering wastewater through soil and gravel in the earth. Source: Thurston County Municipal

  6. The problem with Drainfielding • Requires near-perfect soil conditions for proper filtration • Can pool up undesirable chemicals/pesticides • Drainfields need natural microbial activity constantly.

  7. Statistics and Motivations • Less than 1% of water on Earth is fit for human consumption. • 3.9 trillion gallons of water are used in the United States every month. • The average American uses 176 gallons/day. • Subsidies keep our water resources less expensive than what they’re worth. • Recreational luxuries, like golf courses, use excessive amounts of water and pesticides.

  8. What can we do? • Using organic methods to filter grey water may offer solutions to our over-consumption of water resources. • On an immediate small scale, organically-filtered grey water may have applications within the community.

  9. How well can organic materials filter Grey Water? • Hypothesis: Organic methods can completely filter grey water to a potable state.

  10. How well can organic materials filter Grey Water? • Hypothesis: Organic methods can completely filter grey water to a potable state. • Alternative: Grey water can be filtered of most contaminates and could have applications in gardening and agriculture.

  11. How well can organic materials filter Grey Water? • Hypothesis: Organic methods can completely filter grey water to a potable state. • Alternative: Grey water can be filtered of most contaminates and could have applications in gardening and agriculture. • Null: Organic methods of filtration are not very effective at filtering out grey water.

  12. How will people feel about utilizing Grey Water? • Hypothesis: People will be open to utilizing grey water through organic reclamation.

  13. How will people feel about utilizing Grey Water? • Hypothesis: People will be open to utilizing grey water through organic reclamation. • Alternative: Some individuals might have stipulations about using grey water reclaimed through organic methods.

  14. How will people feel about utilizing Grey Water? • Hypothesis: People will be open to utilizing grey water through organic reclamation. • Alternative: Some individuals might have stipulations about using grey water reclaimed through organic methods. • Null: People will be too put-off by the idea of using reclaimed grey water.

  15. What are the economic benefits of Grey Water reclamation? • Hypothesis: Grey water reclamation can lower the amount of water that has to be treated by public utilities.

  16. What are the economic benefits of Grey Water reclamation? • Hypothesis: Grey water reclamation can lower the amount of water that has to be treated by public utilities. • Alternative: Alternative methods of grey water filtration can save energy usage at water reclamation facilities.

  17. What are the economic benefits of Grey Water reclamation? • Hypothesis: Grey water reclamation can lower the amount of water that has to be treated by public utilities. • Alternative: Alternative methods of grey water filtration can save energy usage at water reclamation facilities. • Null: Grey water reclamation has no economic benefits and may only prove to be more expensive.

  18. Methods for construction • A three-tank system design: • Level one: Large material filtration with a mesh screen. • Level two: Finer materials filtration using alternating layers of gravel and sand. Use of activated charcoal integrated between layers. • Final level: Holding tank for filtered water.

  19. Challenges of at-home grey water filtration • Grey water must be used shortly after filtration. • Overall cost can exceed benefits if done incorrectly.

  20. Grey water is the way to go!

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