Grey Water

Branched drains to the rescue

The branched drain system solves most of the drawbacks above while retaining most of the advantages. Here's how:

Split the flow
The most intractable problems or the 'drain out back" stem from unmanageable high flow to one place. The branched drain system addresses this by splitting the flow. These are the ways the flow can be split:

1) With a double ell or other "tee" fitting which splits the flow in two. By then splitting it again and again, one big flow can be split into 16 little ones, in a "family tree"-like branching network (hence the name).

2) By not combining the flows in the first place. Each fixture or fixture set will water its own area.

3) By manually moving an outlet extension.

4) By a combination of 1), 2), and/or 3).

Contain and cover the flow
If I had just two words to contribute to improve the world's handling of greywater they would he "mulch basin". Mulch covers the greywater and provides many other benefits. (see Designing a System/Mulch Basin and outlet options).

The basin contains the water where it is needed and prevents it from escaping where it is wasted or a nuisance. The island in the middle of the mulch basin protects the delicate root crown from wet conditions and possible disease (more on basins under Designing a system/Mulch basin design).

Mulch basins are a common feature of existing horticultural practice and could hardly be simpler to make and maintain. Don't let this fool you. Though nature takes of their inner workings, these are fantastically complex biologically, far more complex than a municipal sewage treatment plant.

What's more, the treatment level mulch basins provide is far higher than that of a municipal treatment plant and instead of consuming copious electricity and chemicals to create polluted natural waters and piles of toxic sludge, mulch basins run on sunlight and yield drinkable groundwater and fresh fruit (are you convinced yet?)

The outlets can be arranged so the water falls through the air or a few inches before disappearing wider the mulch (simplest), or they can be fully enclosed in chambers under mulch (legal and most sanitary). These options are fully described under "Designing a system/Outlet design.

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