Tomer from Karkur

[Tomer]

Hi Hamish
not a work of art, but hope you get the idea..

[Murray]

Excellent drawing Tomer. Very useful. Thanks. I may set one of those up in the near future.

[Hamish]

Thanks Tomer. Very helpful!

You say 'make sure you have a hole in the pipe entering the barrel so air can push the water down' Where is this hole located and what size?

Does anyone know of any useful plants that can grow in the bathtubs that can also be used for either food or canes for plant stakes? Perhaps bamboo?

[Tomer]

Hi guys
Hamish, i meant that just as you exit the house wall, where the pipe gets an angle or somewhere around there, just drill a small hole in the pipe (i use a 50mm (2" i think) grey pipe).. i learned the hard way (many nights of stink) that obviously without the small hole, the only place for air to enter is either the kitchen drain or the end of the system, which is 20 m away and underground.. and i was surprised water didn't drain through the sink. one tiny hole - a much happier wife.
you can plant herbs like lemongrass or mint. bamboo is an option (will get really tall) though you might have the roots clogging the pipes. i forgot to mention this in the sketch - on the pipe entering the bathtub, it is wise to fit a larger diameter pipe that is longer - kind of like the bell top on the bell siphon - that protects the water pipe from getting roots into it (you'd be amazed how resourcful and determined reed roots are).. i fixed it on the sketch as well (in red)

[Tomer]

Hi Dave thanx for the pix. you are definitly a handy man.. where do you place the air holes? on the sides?
looks really good. isn't wood as a base material cheaper though?

[Hamish]

Thanks for the updated drawing Tomer. I am pretty new to the grey water treatment idea. Can you explain the reasons for treating the water before using it rather than just feeding the water directly onto trees via sub surface pipes.

[Hamish]

I found an interesting video on using grey water to grow rice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88gb3QWA7i0

[Hamish]

I am wonderinghow water chestnuts would go in the bathtubs. I wonder if they would be safe to eat?

[DaveOponic]

Hi Dave thanx for the pix. you are definitly a handy man.. where do you place the air holes? on the sides?
looks really good. isn't wood as a base material cheaper though?

Tomer,

Here in Borneo we have a lot of termites. The wood wouldn't last long, termites, rot etc. PVC pipe is more expensive but easier to work with and light, strong durable.... also matches the PVC drums....

PS

I have used wooden frames to support my growbeds and fish tanks in my first AP beginners "Barrel system". I used Meranti, a nice local rainforest timber... I also treated it with a non toxic wood sealer and preservative so it was waterproof and termite/ant resistant. PVC pipe just wasn't strong enough to support 150 litres of water! The customer also has young kids so wanted to make the support stands as strong and sturdy as possible.

The cost as you can imagine, increased due to extra labour. The stands are not complicated, just like simple coffee table shape with diag. reinforcements, galv. coach bolts etc. A few hours to make the modular stands for a barrel ponics unit - based roughly on a design found on the web.

[Tomer]

Hi Hamish
the advantages of a greywater system are numerous. first, it prevents decay and rot smells, and build up of excess organic material on the surface. a good functioning sysyem works on the physical, chemical and biological aspects of purifying the water. the physical process is distributing the water over a large surface area in the grow bed which is rich in bacterial growth. it filters solids and fats. the numerous bacteria together with plant roots help in quick and efficient biodegregation, Aerobic and anerobic, breaking down rich organic compounds into readily usable ones for plants. the planted reed's roots suck up water, thus concentrating the mass of organic material which aids in it's speedy break down. the reeds also suck up heavy metals and other inorganic material and store them in the stem. the water coming out of the system is clean but nutrient rich and is perfect for plants and crops and even fish ponds. another advantage is visual - you get a beautiful evergreen area that is a natural attraction for local animal life.
saying all that, many of my friends just have the water pouring out to water some tree, and everything is fine..
i still recommend the greywater system.
about the water cheastnut - i think they would be safe to eat, but i don't know if you can grow them, actually. they need sort of a muddy bottom for the roots and the leaves float.. maybe.