A little historical perspective is always useful. Apparently the French were the first to use an underground septic tank system, back in the 1870's. By the mid 1880's, two chamber, automatic siphoning septic tank systems, similar in concept to those used today, were being installed in the United States. Even now, a century plus later, septic tank systems represent a major household wastewater treatment option. Fully 1/4 to 1/3 of the homes in the US utilize such a system...The typical sources of waste water entering a septic system are toilets (approximately 38%), laundry (25%), showers/baths (22%) and sinks/other (15%).
Having been inspired by another blog I decided to write about my experience with septic tanks- which you'd think would be limited in this we call North of Hollywood. And yet no, my "special" house which I call an urban farm is the only house on the "block" to have a tank. My dad, over some misguided obstency refuses to pay to connect to the sewer- which i think would cost somewhere in the thousands. A lot of my life is skewed by my ultra-awareness of waste. Most urbanites who are quasi-conservation freaks don't really live it like they think they do. For instance they constantly buy bottled water- good job with the landfill guys, you think that bottle has a 1 or 2 on the bottom and if it does do you save it? I was (secretly) horrified by how little "plastic" items are actually recyclable and how at ease we can become with that magic cycle of numbers. Why not use a water filter and reuse one bottle over and over? And not only that but how tap water phobic people are as if they were living their very own Erin Brockovitch lives, but they don't want to think about what's let into their food products organic or not- isn't it about achieving a balance blah... okay tyraid over. blah.
I think how much recycling I did and the anxiety I harbored as a kid about the smog in the air and the decimation of the rainforests- and while I'm a quietly anxious person about most things nature, all over the world, I'm not a green-sleever and I'm not liberal, bcs I think it's essentially about personal responsibility and yet had I not been taught and drilled into submission over water waste I would never have been so aware. It comes with a cost - I used to have twinging guilt over crumpling up a piece of paper I'd drawn a line on- now I can do it without compunction, rationalizing that I can "afford it". Seek the balance. When I moved to Chicago I let the water run and run- that lake wasn't going to drain anytime soon- but that was only when I was in the shower.
Having returned to the drought-subjected semi-mediterranian climate let me break down the top 4 septic tank usages for you:
Shower: frequently make the toilet gurgle with my rampant water usage. Causes toilet to cease being able to flush, catergory 5 back up issues. This is the price I always pay. Showers must be timed with either late night usage or when people aren't around during the day. Times not to do it, before a party, before company comes over, while you still might be planning to use the toilet. That gurgly blurbs of the toilet, that gives me anxiety. So I can't let the water out until after I get out. Showers are not a daily occurance: it is partly because it dries out your skin unnecessarily and robs your body of essential oils, the other half is the shower anxiety. Who wants to deal with it? I don't. My mom jokes that I should go take a shower outside, except she isn't really joking bcs she knows then that it won't back up the septic tank- it worked when I was a kid but now I like the cold grey tiles.
Toilet: frequently stops working. Have instilled strict "if it's yellow let it mellow" "if it's brown flush it down"... my life in the meet the fockers movie title. Good times. It certainly has helped me be less uptight-- I never knew it would help mellow out the OCD in me but it has, bcs to live where I live you have to be okay with a certain amount of dirt, dog hair and the occassional sewage crisis- yes, my life on an urban farm. I have moderate embarassement when I invite people over bcs in my mind, it's like inviting people to the "sticks" or the backwoods or to that place with the toilet that backs up bcs her crazy parents have a septic tank, approve of their kid taking showers outside and generally are in desperate need of stock in swifter or pledge wipes.
Laundry: We embrace what's called "greywater"... which involves diverting the water hose from the back of the unit to a hose that leads outside and into the yard. I am most proud of this ecological venture. Water plants with body water- not so bad.
The fourth is the kitchen and bathroom sinks- my mom, when she hears me washing dishes, will not fail to mention, STOP RUNNING THE WATER... and when an unprecedented silence pervades she then says, SEE, I didn't say ANYTHING about the WATER this time... Right, sure you didn't. So she's the official dish washer, and don't even dream about it, i don't even know what a dishwasher is, besides the one named MOM. I now dry. The only other high point in the mad-scientist world of my mother, and life with the septic tank, is that you can place a bowl in the bathroom sink, wait till it fills up as you use it, and then flush the toilet with it. Now that's conservation.
4 comments:
LA tap water is disgusting! Whenever I fill a glass I find flakes floating in it. That's not good. Besides I read somewhere LA has the worst tap in the nation....Although I do agree with reusing the same bottle or container for filtering your water.
I LOVE your urban farm. It's a retreat from the insanity of the city.
lies. all lies. except for the insanity part.
Yeah youre probably saving moey not conencting to the sewer system.
Especailly if there is a yearly fee, and I hear some american towns charge for what water goes in the house and also for what water leaves the house.
We chanrge like 100 dollers to do a tank, and we do it once every 2 years, and thats if you live there fulltime.
If youre not there full time then it's even less often.
We are saving so much money, money which is not spent on spiffing up the house, however, we don't pay a sewer tax, which is a part of the usual DWP water bill. We got an estimate some many years ago to hook up to the sewer... $10,000.. about 1/2 of that expense being for city permits and fees.
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