Thank you for posting this. We're renovating an old house in Japan and have decided to go with a composting toilet instead of installing a septic tank. I was wondering how we could run the urine collection into the gray water for the house, and this video was the first I've found to really give me a sense of how to do it. We don't have more than three feet behind the house, but I'm sure we'll figure out a way to make this work.
It really depends on how you use your grey water. Make sure the grey water drains below ground so it doesn't splash or get on your vegetable plants. It should be OK to water your fruit trees. Cleaning process is key. Good luck!!
My idea for a tiny home was a 3d printed urinal with its own urine collection, but from the sounds of it you have a wifey who wouldn't be too happy with a urinal.
I appreciate your candid info on grey water. It's the 1st video that is well thought out & researched. Husband & I are hoping to build a small-ish house & want to incorporate a lot of what you covered in your video. And your family is lovely & having a good time (in between the hard work!) 😊
I always look forward to getting a vid notification from greendesert.org. You all nailed it again!! ...magnificent work. Even though that wheel barrel scene made me tired as heck just watching it (haha) I agree with the young sir, cutting through the grass would NOT have been the best choice. Thanks for showing the rock layering as well. Great to see you and the fam. Tell the Mr., Big Bob says "hey".
Lol you always crack us up... and ALWAYS support. You know we appreciate it Big Bob!! And yes... it left us exhausted too... we had to learn the hard way lol
😍 I knew I'd find you. I literally prayed that I would find an off grid black family!!! I now can turn on post notifications 🥰🥰🥰 I'm building from shed. I'll document it when it comes in !
Why don't you organize some workshops there.That way people can come and learn while helping with the work.By the way,looking good in the green shirt ! !
If the toilet wasn't connect would be grey water. As soon as you connect the toilet is black water. I don't know about the toilet water going back in they just made a septic tank?
I love those white single flowers. I have them here and they close up if it is too bright plus bloom at night under a full moon. Used to be able to see hundreds of them glowing under the full moon in the field across the street until it was turned into apartments. :( - Heidi
Technically it really is considered black water. We did a lot of research and learned that urine is actually pretty sterile and a great fertilizer when diluted. It's a small part of our greywater system, and we're building more beds for cleaning. The cleaning system with charcoal helps since it removes toxins. To be anally safe, we're not using the greywater for anything edible.
I am curious. Can you show the setup of this system? Example, a little tutorial of how it was setup, how it all works? Or do you already have a video for that? I have been looking into a system just like this, maybe with some variations. This year is three years old, i am also curious if this system is still in use? Have you found yourself making any changes to fix it?
The system is still in use, and no changes thus far. We will be adding more beds to further clean the water to take more load off filters. Check back in a month or two, and we should have everything laid out to see. Check out our shop, we might have other drawings that will interest you.
Some folks have converted those into diy hot tubs with a copper coil wood burning basket for heat. Another thing is using the larger 15'-20' in dia round stock tanks as small swimming pools. this channel had a really neat idea about having an outdoor straw bale out house as a urea capturing pissoir (th-cam.com/video/dztgMnaH1rw/w-d-xo.html). I thought it beat the capture & dilute method by a long shot. More like a rake & spread with little odor. How are you addressing the wind breaks/barrier from the prevailing westerlies? Be Well & Keep Safe y'all
I like it ! Took some work and some "trial & error," but you have a great start. Would like to see how it turns out once you put more of those tubs in a series. Yes, carbon (& potash) is a great renewal charcoal based renewal resource...cheers !
Love your system! Most channels have one spouse doing recording and the other doing all the on screen and voice over. I like that you're both involved and obviously enthusiastic about what you're doing!
Put your load more to the front and over the properly inflated tire when using a wheelbarrow. Keep your back straight and lift using your legs. The trick is to find the balance of the load over the tire. Anytime you can travel on firm and smooth terrain is much better than the bumpy, unlevel ground. Don't overload the wheelbarrow and an extra trip will be easier on yourself than the struggle of a heavy load. Better yet using a 4-wheel cart such as a Gorilla Cart that dumps is a far better tool or even a two-tire wheelbarrow. The cart can be hooked to the hitch of the truck, a riding mower, an ATV, or even the 14-year-old if he is being "sassy" as well as any family member who may draw the short straw. Just like a front-wheel drive car, it is much easier to tow a load than to pick it up and push it. Happy gardening!
Sean Oliver -- they are using urine, which is sterile NOT human waste (feces). They are using a system of sand, charcoal, rocks, etc. to come out clean. Do your own research. Hope that helps. Have a good day!
@@DE2borknot2b Urine isn't sterile; our bodies are full of (and covered in) bacterial communities, including in our bladders. Even urine that is tested and said to have "no bacteria" simply means that you don't have a bacterial community more prolific than their benchmark for "normal". I do agree that urine can be safe for irrigation as long as it goes through an appropriate greywater system. I just want to stop the myth that urine is sterile. :)
Love seeing black folk engage and teach about this! Thank you so much.
Your entertaining family has so much talent, knowledge, and togetherness!!! Thanks for this mini-series! It ought to get run on HGTV!!!
Oh boy! Thank you so much for watching!!!!
Love to see the kids involved in creating and maintaining the family home ❤
Great job Team. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!!
I like the look of the stone / sand / charcoal layered system in the bed, great idea this. Thank you for showing us.
Love your system and love your family! You guys are awesome. 🙏
What a great family project! Thanks for the video.
Thank you for posting this. We're renovating an old house in Japan and have decided to go with a composting toilet instead of installing a septic tank. I was wondering how we could run the urine collection into the gray water for the house, and this video was the first I've found to really give me a sense of how to do it. We don't have more than three feet behind the house, but I'm sure we'll figure out a way to make this work.
It really depends on how you use your grey water. Make sure the grey water drains below ground so it doesn't splash or get on your vegetable plants. It should be OK to water your fruit trees. Cleaning process is key.
Good luck!!
My idea for a tiny home was a 3d printed urinal with its own urine collection, but from the sounds of it you have a wifey who wouldn't be too happy with a urinal.
I appreciate your candid info on grey water. It's the 1st video that is well thought out & researched. Husband & I are hoping to build a small-ish house & want to incorporate a lot of what you covered in your video. And your family is lovely & having a good time (in between the hard work!) 😊
I always look forward to getting a vid notification from greendesert.org. You all nailed it again!! ...magnificent work. Even though that wheel barrel scene made me tired as heck just watching it (haha) I agree with the young sir, cutting through the grass would NOT have been the best choice.
Thanks for showing the rock layering as well. Great to see you and the fam. Tell the Mr., Big Bob says "hey".
Lol you always crack us up... and ALWAYS support. You know we appreciate it Big Bob!!
And yes... it left us exhausted too... we had to learn the hard way lol
😍 I knew I'd find you. I literally prayed that I would find an off grid black family!!! I now can turn on post notifications 🥰🥰🥰 I'm building from shed. I'll document it when it comes in !
Nice grey sweatpants
Your face said it, lol. Too funny. The food looks great!
Very cool! Great video!
Why don't you organize some workshops there.That way people can come and learn while helping with the work.By the way,looking good in the green shirt ! !
LIFE LESSON :
"" The More You Stop
The Harder İt İs To Continue/ Finish ""
How did you make your grease trap? I'm going to make a similar design and was curious what you used and how it's working so far. Thanks! Great set up!
We didn't make it, we bought a stainless steal greace trap off amazon. So far it is working really well.
@@GreenDesertTV thanks! I'll check Amazon I know some of the predone ones are $$$ but for my system it's only 1 person so I dont need big one.
If the toilet wasn't connect would be grey water. As soon as you connect the toilet is black water. I don't know about the toilet water going back in they just made a septic tank?
They said urine only. Black water is feces.
@@kaylatolstyka7234 grey water in US is different I found out recently. Here grey water is shower and washing machine.
Two wheeled wheelbarrow would have made it easier
Smart 14 year old. Next time put stone in buckets put in truck... enjoying your channel.
how is this now?
Hi. It's working fine. The native plants in the area are constantly sucking down the water.
Awesome video! Could you grow food in those? Like tomatoes or something?
I love those white single flowers. I have them here and they close up if it is too bright plus bloom at night under a full moon. Used to be able to see hundreds of them glowing under the full moon in the field across the street until it was turned into apartments. :( - Heidi
I’m curious: Is urine considered grey water?
Technically it really is considered black water. We did a lot of research and learned that urine is actually pretty sterile and a great fertilizer when diluted. It's a small part of our greywater system, and we're building more beds for cleaning. The cleaning system with charcoal helps since it removes toxins. To be anally safe, we're not using the greywater for anything edible.
I am curious. Can you show the setup of this system? Example, a little tutorial of how it was setup, how it all works? Or do you already have a video for that? I have been looking into a system just like this, maybe with some variations. This year is three years old, i am also curious if this system is still in use? Have you found yourself making any changes to fix it?
The system is still in use, and no changes thus far. We will be adding more beds to further clean the water to take more load off filters. Check back in a month or two, and we should have everything laid out to see. Check out our shop, we might have other drawings that will interest you.
Some folks have converted those into diy hot tubs with a copper coil wood burning basket for heat. Another thing is using the larger 15'-20' in dia round stock tanks as small swimming pools. this channel had a really neat idea about having an outdoor straw bale out house as a urea capturing pissoir (th-cam.com/video/dztgMnaH1rw/w-d-xo.html). I thought it beat the capture & dilute method by a long shot. More like a rake & spread with little odor.
How are you addressing the wind breaks/barrier from the prevailing westerlies?
Be Well & Keep Safe y'all
Interesting... we will check them out!! We haven't had any issues with the wind... I'm crossing my fingers that I'm not speaking it into existence😁
I have my own hillbilly hottub that does just this, I sold the old stock tank I used because I stumbled upon an actual bathtub in an alley way.
I knew y'all had to be in Texas!! And then I saw the blue bonnets 🩵
I like it ! Took some work and some "trial & error," but you have a great start. Would like to see how it turns out once you put more of those tubs in a series. Yes, carbon (& potash) is a great renewal charcoal based renewal resource...cheers !
Love your system! Most channels have one spouse doing recording and the other doing all the on screen and voice over. I like that you're both involved and obviously enthusiastic about what you're doing!
awesomenessss!!!! xoxo lmbo
Put your load more to the front and over the properly inflated tire when using a wheelbarrow. Keep your back straight and lift using your legs. The trick is to find the balance of the load over the tire. Anytime you can travel on firm and smooth terrain is much better than the bumpy, unlevel ground. Don't overload the wheelbarrow and an extra trip will be easier on yourself than the struggle of a heavy load.
Better yet using a 4-wheel cart such as a Gorilla Cart that dumps is a far better tool or even a two-tire wheelbarrow. The cart can be hooked to the hitch of the truck, a riding mower, an ATV, or even the 14-year-old if he is being "sassy" as well as any family member who may draw the short straw.
Just like a front-wheel drive car, it is much easier to tow a load than to pick it up and push it. Happy gardening!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing ☀️
Love seeing black people in these searches cause it doesn't happen often enough :)
Do you have a link for the trough
tractor supply & same livestock supply stores ~100-200 gal water tank.
@@ronsmith1364 thank you
Hi, what plants are best for this grey water system?
Righteous!
Your not supposed to use your toilet for grey water....
Sean Oliver -- they are using urine, which is sterile NOT human waste (feces). They are using a system of sand, charcoal, rocks, etc. to come out clean. Do your own research. Hope that helps. Have a good day!
@@DE2borknot2b Urine isn't sterile; our bodies are full of (and covered in) bacterial communities, including in our bladders. Even urine that is tested and said to have "no bacteria" simply means that you don't have a bacterial community more prolific than their benchmark for "normal".
I do agree that urine can be safe for irrigation as long as it goes through an appropriate greywater system. I just want to stop the myth that urine is sterile. :)
Big brain move, each grab a handle of the wheelbarrow. He was 100% right in saying the road was the better way.