Grey Water!?

[CornStar]

Ok ... I can infer plenty, but i've yet to have the low down clearly spelled out for me. What qualifies as grey water? My assumption is any & all water that is used for anything besides hydration? If I didnt bring a showering apparatus, but say wanted to dump water over my head, would that be wrong? Like do i have to stand in like a plastic tub in order to do this? Ice melt ... yes/no? If you dump it onto the playa at say noon & there are no debris in it to begin with, wont it just evaporate? Not trying to be disrespectful of the playa or sound like a dumbass, ive just yet to get the specifics. Help me out? Thanks a bunch! :)[/code]

[Bob]

You have my permission to dump water over your head.

[TomServo]

not sure if dumping water over your head is grey water..but Id do it in a kiddie pool, for it to evaporate..especially if youve been painted.

[capjbadger]

Any water that is not drinkable is gray water. If you collected that water you dumped over your head, would you drink it?

Only clean, potable water on the playa. everything else is a no go.

Badger

[AntiM]

Melted cooler water can be sprinkled on the road. Sprinkled, not dump. We put ours into the garden sprayers/misters we bring.

[ygmir]

Ok ... What qualifies as grey water? My assumption is any & all water that is used for anything besides hydration? Help me out? Thanks a bunch! [/code]

not quite. There is "black water", containing human waste........
Grey water is anything else that is not drinkable.

[phil]

Ok ... I can infer plenty, but i've yet to have the low down clearly spelled out for me. What qualifies as grey water?

Here's the problem. The BLM says BMOrg has to control grey water, but BLM doesn't define it. There is no government definition that I can find. I've read a dozen or so different definitions, and they all vary. The definition seems to depend more on the agenda of the defining entity than on what grey water really is.

See this official instruction from JRS:
http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=13262

If anyone has a URL for the BLM's definition of graywater, I'd appreciate the link. The problem is you end up with graywater nazis getting in your face with their holier than thou definition that disagrees with other definitions.

The BMOrg position is that treated water is not gray water. See the link above. I have no idea what the BLM position is, since I can't find their personal definition.

[dragonpilot]

And for those new to RV travel, if you need to dump your grey water at the event because some 'tard ran the shower too long...before you leave home go by your nearest RV supply store and pick up a grey water adapter hose. Basically, it's an adapter cap that fits over the 3" dump hose. The cap has a male fitting that you attach a short section of garden hose to which makes it very easy to transfer the grey water to empty gallon water jugs. Cap the jugs and take it home with you.

Otherwise, when you open the grey water valve the water comes cascading out and splatters all over the place...even if you just barely open it and try to funnel it into a bottle. And, man o' live, grey water in a holding tank is STINKY! Be sure to wear rubber gloves!

[thirt33n]

can't drink the water truck water but that goes on the playa.


take a good look at your water. is there 'moop' particles in it? after evaporation would there be any sort of trace left?

evap ponds are really really really simple to build.
that being said, i dump a warm canteen over my head every day or so while walking around in the street. if someone ever told me not to do that i'd just laugh. all nazi's can fuck off.

water + sweat + playa dust = don't worry

like someone said, not if you've been painted though.

oh, and if it rains, make sure if the drops hit you on the way to the playa floor you catch them so they don't hit the ground as grey water?

[Marscrumbs]

I think grey water issue is more about quantity of water pooled on the playa that it's being dirty wash water. A comunity shower set up can leave quit a mudhole>>>lump gravy playa surface. Just a few cups can be sprinted out. The last of your grey water evape can be gently splashed away. Or am I not purist enough?

[phil]

> Or am I not purist enough?

Well, that's a problem. Who knows how purist is enough with no definitive definition from the BLM?

[oneeyeddick]

If you don't add soap to the water, and just rinse off with it, it is no different than your sweat dripping and hitting the ground.

just look at the thousands of idiots running behind the water trucks, and make your own decision.

[Marscrumbs]

> Or am I not purist enough?

Well, that's a problem. Who knows how purist is enough with no definitive definition from the BLM?

I'm talking about peer pressure from burner neighbors and campmate, the BLM can talk to my congressman for all I care.

[CornStar]

Ok here's another random question I've yet to figure out. All you message board folks are super fancy with your hot acronyms. Ive cracked the majority of your codes but Mr Brain seems to be too mushy at this point to figure out BLM? Help me ... Im all cornfused!

[phil]

Sorry - Bureau of Land Management, the nominal owner of the Playa.

http://www.nv.blm.gov/news_releases/Pre ... wfo_33.htm

[capjbadger]

I think grey water issue is more about quantity of water pooled on the playa that it's being dirty wash water. A comunity shower set up can leave quit a mudhole>>>lump gravy playa surface. Just a few cups can be sprinted out. The last of your grey water evape can be gently splashed away. Or am I not purist enough?

Purist? No. The word you were looking for is fucking selfish asshole.

You start passing out info like that and get people to believe it, BLM will see that shit and shut us down. Period.
No you can not dump ANY grey water on the playa. Why is that so hard to understand??

Badger

[phil]

Here's the .pdf file which governs "Waste Water Discharge":

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/ ... ly2008.pdf
Search the .pdf for
waste water discharge
and you'll find this statement:

The dumping or discharge to the ground of grey water is prohibited. Grey water is water used for cooking, washing, dishwashing, or bathing and which contains soap, detergent, food scraps, or food residue.

So there's my definition.

[Captain Goddammit]

What if you simply dye it blue?

[zabsinth]

What if you simply dye it blue?

Where would one find blue liquid on the playa?!?!

[thirt33n]

Ok here's another random question I've yet to figure out. All you message board folks are super fancy with your hot acronyms. Ive cracked the majority of your codes but Mr Brain seems to be too mushy at this point to figure out BLM? Help me ... Im all cornfused!

ha ha. "cornfused"
what were some of your guesses for BLM?

[thirt33n]

I think grey water issue is more about quantity of water pooled on the playa that it's being dirty wash water. A comunity shower set up can leave quit a mudhole>>>lump gravy playa surface. Just a few cups can be sprinted out. The last of your grey water evape can be gently splashed away. Or am I not purist enough?

Purist? No. The word you were looking for is fucking selfish asshole.

You start passing out info like that and get people to believe it, BLM will see that shit and shut us down. Period.
No you can not dump ANY grey water on the playa. Why is that so hard to understand??

Badger

HA! capj,...you're an acquired taste. i really like you now. no kiddin.

honest question for you though....

if you saw me walking in circles in the middle of the street slowly pouring a canteen over my head, with no soap and only a little face hand splashing,....what would you say to that?

[phil]

What if you simply dye it blue?

Where would one find blue liquid on the playa?!?!

Around the portapotties. :->

[CornStar]

For BLM the only somewhat relevent acronym i could think of was Black Lake Mountain, which didnt make any sense to me ... hence the question.

Back to Greywater ... so i think i read a link from this discussion saying something about pouring your greywater thru a filter or nylon & then adding bleach & then letting it sit until its sediment free & decontaminated & then spraying it onto the playa during the day for dust control. This wasn't my idea so dont lash out at me, im just wondering ... is that acceptable?

[thirt33n]

that's the way to do it. it's a bit of work though.

of course you'll have some empty water containers by the end of the week.
save one big one to pour any grey water into and pack it out.

as far as any other grey water,....

make an evap pond. last year we had 5 ppl and our pond was about 10 x 4.

run a pipe from your sink to the evap pond. it's pretty simple plumbing. or just handle all your water duties while standing at the evap pond. get or make a grate to stand on IN the evap pond. (simple, 2-2x4's with 4-2x4's spaced on top of them, like a waffle) so you're not standing actually IN the water and water can floww through the cracks. make the cracks at least a 1/2 inch.

if your evap pond is over an inch deep you're using too much water. water won't evaporate as much during the night so try to take advantage of the day.
for your last day don't use the evap pond. let it dry out. use your empty water container. when you're ready to leave, roll up your evap pond plastic like a fukkin burrito, stick it in a couple huge garbage bags and chuck it on top or in the trunk or on the floor.

if you are in an RV you have less to worry about as long as you and you're mates are smart with your holding tank.

i usually take less than three showers the whole week.

[Captain Goddammit]

I still think you're all crazy! (Which is OK, who else would GO to Burning Man?!)
I simply pour my grey water back into the barrels I brought it in. Then I just dump it at an RV dump. No pond, no mud, no screwing around of any sort.