Diaper water

752 Views 9 Replies 4 Participants Last post by BCmamaof6, May 11, 2006

weehasu

Discussion Starter · Apr 14, 2006

Hi everyone! This is my first post, and I hope that I can gain some insight.

We are going completely off the grid, and I've been wondering what I should do w/ the water from cleaning our diapers. The other laundry water is being saved for irigating our greenhouse, and we're using composting toilets, so I'm a little unsure about what to do w/ the diaper water.

What do you guys do w/ it?

Thanks!

Alice

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stretchmark

· #2 · Apr 14, 2006

I think this has been addressed here before. We're moving into our house in June but we may not have the diaper issue by then.
I was thinking that you could pour the water on the humanure pile which is probably what I would do. We aren't having any sewer or septic but rather all our water is draining out into the land near the garden areas. This obviously means no toxic products and no poop. I think I'd be washing the diapers by hand and then dumping the water on the pile using the minumum water needed for the wash and rinse. I'd probably also experiment with elimination communication.
Good luck.

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weehasu

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 14, 2006

Yeah, I really wanted to EC my DS, but DH was completely unsupportive and we were living w/ 4 other room mates at the time (who weren't excited about the imminent messes). However, I fully intend to EC our new little one (yey for EC!!).

The composting toilet we're using is a system that uses 2 50 gallon drums, you fill one up, move the seat over to the new one, and let the other one do it's thing until the new one is full. Then you scoop it out and use it. So, in our case, we won't really have a humanure pile because when it comes out of the drum it's supposed to be just like top soil.

I was thinking we could put it in our "normal" compost, but I'm really not too sure, or maybe dump it into the compost toilet??

I'll check the archives (shoulda done that first) and if I find anything, I'll copy/paste.

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stretchmark

· #4 · Apr 14, 2006

I should ask the mamas living on the same mountain that we're moving to about what they are doing. They have the drum composting toilets and outhouses and they wash their diapers there somehow. I would probaby dump it in the drum and add the necessary amount of sawdust. Some people don't like liquid because they think it makes the whole system smell really bad but if you use a good amount of sawdust it can smell just fine, even pleasant if you use cedar dust.

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weehasu

Discussion Starter · #5 · Apr 26, 2006

I'm still at a total loss w/ this... The system that we're using for humanure will not allow the amount of water that washing diapers creates and I'm pretty sure I can't just dump it anywhere.

Someone please help! One of you has to be off the grid and using cloth....

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weehasu

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 7, 2006

Alright, I'm bumping this ONE more time...

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peverroad

· #7 · May 7, 2006

i don't know if this helps as we are not off the grid. We have our washing machine just lead out to the yard (helps water it) and haven't ever had problems with it.

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BCmamaof6

· #8 · May 9, 2006

: just subbing to read what others have to say

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stretchmark

· #9 · May 11, 2006

The place I was talking about also runs all their water out to the land but they don't have an actual washing machine.

I think if you made sure you didn't water your garden with the water you'd be ok because the poop wouldn't be composted. Also, are you going to have any sort of sand filter or septic or anything else that this water could go into?

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BCmamaof6

· #10 · May 11, 2006

does a septic tank (and system) require electricity to work? We're on one now...but I've never considered it...

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