Recycle waste water with worms
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Dear friends,
the following is an interesting e-mail in response to somebody's problems with greasy waste water. See how the author of this e-mail proposes to solve the problem! It's something you can easily do at home if you have the space. - Germex
Chuck & Linda (e-mail and address withheld)
Subject: Re: grease traps
Andy wrote:
My earthworms don't want to eat grease and dish soap, so I need to run the effluent into the drain field by a different route. Pointers, anyone?
***Well now, Andy, have you discussed the issue of grease and dish soap with your worms? I am currently designing a grease trap filter that will use worms. Its true, you will find it in writing that worms don't like such things. However, given the right conditions, they will do fine. Anna Eddy of Solviva has proven it.
She set up two filter bins in a tavern, and all the wastewater was flushed through them. 5000 gallons per day (!), including all the grease and wash water. Anna had told them to run the grease through a different trap first, however they didn't, and the worms survived.
Think of a 30" wide box about 42" tall and 42" long, filled with semi-composted woodchips and leaves, the drainpipe dumps the goodies in the center. When the goodies are dropped, the worms make a mad squiggle to dry territory on the edges (kind of like moose huggers heading to the Caribbean in the winter). Then they come back to see what the food gods have left them. My wild guess is that the friction of moving through the bedding keeps their skin pores free from grease.
I will be running all my scraps through a food/sink grinder, as the worms prefer a nice soft snack. The effluent is filtered through the bedding and cleansed. At this point I will be running it through an additional greywater bed, filled with thirsty plants in a sand medium, and then on to the lower greenhouse drain fields, which will have tropical fruit trees planted among them. You don't need to run it through additional filters, as the effluent will be quite clean after exiting your filter. If you still doubt the worm grease/soap thing, you can visit www.biolytix, as they are doing the same thing.
Believe in your worms, Andy, they are tough, fast and up to the job. Its all about drainage and some dry territory.
Chuck Learned
the following is an interesting e-mail in response to somebody's problems with greasy waste water. See how the author of this e-mail proposes to solve the problem! It's something you can easily do at home if you have the space. - Germex
Chuck & Linda (e-mail and address withheld)
Subject: Re: grease traps
Andy wrote:
My earthworms don't want to eat grease and dish soap, so I need to run the effluent into the drain field by a different route. Pointers, anyone?
***Well now, Andy, have you discussed the issue of grease and dish soap with your worms? I am currently designing a grease trap filter that will use worms. Its true, you will find it in writing that worms don't like such things. However, given the right conditions, they will do fine. Anna Eddy of Solviva has proven it.
She set up two filter bins in a tavern, and all the wastewater was flushed through them. 5000 gallons per day (!), including all the grease and wash water. Anna had told them to run the grease through a different trap first, however they didn't, and the worms survived.
Think of a 30" wide box about 42" tall and 42" long, filled with semi-composted woodchips and leaves, the drainpipe dumps the goodies in the center. When the goodies are dropped, the worms make a mad squiggle to dry territory on the edges (kind of like moose huggers heading to the Caribbean in the winter). Then they come back to see what the food gods have left them. My wild guess is that the friction of moving through the bedding keeps their skin pores free from grease.
I will be running all my scraps through a food/sink grinder, as the worms prefer a nice soft snack. The effluent is filtered through the bedding and cleansed. At this point I will be running it through an additional greywater bed, filled with thirsty plants in a sand medium, and then on to the lower greenhouse drain fields, which will have tropical fruit trees planted among them. You don't need to run it through additional filters, as the effluent will be quite clean after exiting your filter. If you still doubt the worm grease/soap thing, you can visit www.biolytix, as they are doing the same thing.
Believe in your worms, Andy, they are tough, fast and up to the job. Its all about drainage and some dry territory.
Chuck Learned
15 Apr 2007 17:56
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