Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Gray water draining into pond

I did a search but couldnt find my answer on the site about gray water. A friend recently purchased a property with a couple acre pond on it. He discovered that the washer and kitchen sink drains into a tube that empties about 100 feet from his pond. I know that in modern days this is a no-no. It was probably done decades ago. His question is if it is bad for his pond if the gray water works its way into the pond. Is there any special type of laundry or dish soap he should use to eliminate concerns? It dumps into sandy soils but he believes there is clay a few feet below the sand that slopes to the pond.

Well I'm certainly no expert but there are biodegradable soaps that you can use. We use them at our place. There is a soap named "Camp Soap" that is biodegradable and we use the Dr. Bronner products.

There is a debate as to whether or not biodegradable products are good for the environment or not but I'm not getting embroiled in that discussion.

He could also place a filtration system on the exiting grey water if he was really concerned about it.

Thats how self-contained boats and houseboats do it. And then, on unfortunate occassion, if one forgets to pump out the holding tank for black water, the above-waterline vent looks like the chocolate shake machine at McDonalds when someone flushes.
I don't know this from experience; only something that I have heard...

Thanks for the visual Brettski! I think I'll pass on shakes for a while...

Gray water is not all bad. Many smart-thinking communities allow it for a lot of good reasons. Backwash from water processing (softening/filtration, etc) systems is also allowed to bypass septic tanks, drain fields, and sewer systems.

Gray water is not a problem when properly processed. Many use it to irrigate gardens, flowers, lawns, etc. The biggest problem is the phosphorous and chlorine it contains. If the nutrients can be taken up by a lawn, garden, forested area, or wetland, they are good. If they flow nearly directly into a waterway or pond, they can cause excessive nutrients, causing a myriad of problems.

A simple wetland area can benefit and absorb a lot of the phosphates and other chemicals. It doesn't take a very large area of wetland plants, including various grasses, cattails, -- even flower and vegetable plants, to trap many of the so-called pollutants before they enter the pond. If it is just a damp area in the summer, squash and pumpkins will take up a lot of nutrients as they grow into trophies.

Ken


After I posted, I found this link:
Greywater Wetlands
While hugging my trees, raising my fish, and preparing venison for lunch, I've practiced many similar techniques for over 40 years.

Thanks for the info. I'll pass it on.