tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post3388450878924913444..comments2023-05-27T06:10:18.276-07:00Comments on Life Under a Blue Roof: Where does all our water go?Shaynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075389514646502762noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-12054074110906816342011-01-09T13:45:07.349-08:002011-01-09T13:45:07.349-08:00Hi Cynthia-
No problem. Actually, look again at t...Hi Cynthia-<br />No problem. Actually, look again at the pictures. The white pvc pipe you see is actually connected to the fan. Nothing but air passes through that pipe. Now look next to the white pipe, and you'll see a dark green chute about a foot in diameter. There are two of these on the top of the toilet, one from each bathroom. They're not exactly straight down, but they're pretty close.<br />In fact, they're so straight down that I was actually afraid to move into the house with a two year old. Can you see that headline in the paper---"Two year old boy falls into composting toilet".Shaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02075389514646502762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-61724781630647582942011-01-09T13:05:48.945-08:002011-01-09T13:05:48.945-08:00OK... so I know this is an old post, but I was jus...OK... so I know this is an old post, but I was just showing my engineer husband this and he had one obvious question I didn't think about.<br /><br />If you don't use any water to flush, how does solid waste go to the composter? Looking at your photos, it looks like there are curves in some of your pipes, so it's not like a direct hole from toilet to composter. So, out of curiousity, how does that work?<br /><br />Thanks for the great post and all the info!Cynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05399529433664176896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-22129244310348176372010-12-14T06:43:24.234-08:002010-12-14T06:43:24.234-08:00Well rats...I just saw your answer to Kristen rega...Well rats...I just saw your answer to Kristen regarding gray water. Sorry for the extra post...warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03927162550870912773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-34652698519805473862010-12-14T06:41:54.284-08:002010-12-14T06:41:54.284-08:00I love the info about the cistern. The price you ...I love the info about the cistern. The price you list is significantly cheaper than well prices from people nearby the land we are buying and I have always liked the idea of capturing rainwater anyhow. I think that's a winner for us. The composting toilet is also interesting though I think we probably can do a septic pretty cheaply and easily. Any chance you'd give details on the cost of that too? Also, what do you do with your gray water? Does it go through some other treatment or do you have a gray water well? Just curious on that as well...warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03927162550870912773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-36606022084539189922010-12-08T04:00:04.969-08:002010-12-08T04:00:04.969-08:00Kirsten, great question! At our first straw bale ...Kirsten, great question! At our first straw bale home we did have an experimental permit from the state for a graywater system that included an inside filtering tank and an outside sand mound. They only allowed us to do that because it was for the Environmental program my husband teaches. When we tried to apply to do the same thing here, on a purely residential system, they wouldn't allow it. That totally would have been the way to go. So even though our home only produces graywater, with no chance for blackwater, we still had to put in a septic system.Shaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02075389514646502762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-25417756402569418462010-12-08T03:56:42.932-08:002010-12-08T03:56:42.932-08:00Jen---I would love to catch up & hear about yo...Jen---I would love to catch up & hear about your future plans for the farm. Maybe a day in January when there is no two-hour delay!<br /><br />Cathryn---You summed it up so well! We really are on that giant cycle of decomposition and renewal, and we are such a tiny piece in the biggest of pictures.Shaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02075389514646502762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-50598139682196826862010-12-08T03:24:25.798-08:002010-12-08T03:24:25.798-08:00These posts are fascinating. Thanks so much for s...These posts are fascinating. Thanks so much for sharing! Hubby wants to know what you do with your gray (white?) water - do you have a sand mound or drain field or something for all of the water from your sinks/dishwasher/washing machine?Kirstenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03236071243930290074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-91407169836933122792010-12-07T21:54:19.804-08:002010-12-07T21:54:19.804-08:00You have definitely answered my questions! It is ...You have definitely answered my questions! It is really interesting. If you think about it, all kinds of things are decomposing around us all the time, and compound that with how long the world has been around and all the things that have manured and died that are now the actual food we eat and water we drink--we are all made up of organic materials after all.<br />I agree, I like to have what I can control many steps away from my garden as well. <br />Great series of posts! thanksCathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03286142983409557379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2630293045560418896.post-68983120991580642712010-12-07T05:36:35.569-08:002010-12-07T05:36:35.569-08:00I had to laugh at the tip, "Running your wash...I had to laugh at the tip, "Running your washing machine only when it is full." I can't remember a day my washing machine wasn't full with more than enough left over to do a few more loads! <br /><br />Thanks for the great posts. Very inspirational. We have to schedule a date in the new year to talk with you & Fred about the feasibility of using many of the techniques you have used in your home in our farmyard! Sounds silly, but as we expand our direct market sales, we need to look at modifying our farmyard to accommodate our clients, which may need to include adding a bathroom. We're also still very interested in exploring straw bale construction as a possibility for a new building. Once the holidays are over and the winter weather isn't such a threat, we'll have to get together for a long chat! Have a very Merry Christmas!Jenniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12477430632335340719noreply@blogger.com