A lightweight alternative to wooden evap pond frames?

[CornMan]

While I was in Home Depot, I put together an evap frame made from plastic downspouts and flex connectors. The whole assembly is much, much lighter than just one 12 foot long 2x4 piece of lumber. The evap pond would be 12x12 feet. I don't know how durable they'd have to be such as if anybody stepped on it, but I think they could take it. I'd probably cut the width to 10' to accommodate the 12' plastic. One thing for sure is that it is super easy to assemble and pull apart. I had it assembled, photographed it, pulled it apart, and put it back in the displays before the next shopping cart came by. It would probably need some kind of special stakes to hold it down in the wind.

The whole thing assembled. It is 12x12 in uncut form.

[CornMan]

"What if it blows away in the wind?"

It would be easy to drill holes through it and nail it down with 12" nails or lag screws with washers.

[trilobyte]

IMO, where most evap ponds fail is that people don't build them big enough to do the job for the size of their camp. Ideally, the pond should be drying itself completely within a very short span of time, no later than daily. 12x12 just seems really undersized, unless your camp is fewer than 4-5 people. Depending on the size of your camp, you may want to consider going bigger.

For my camp, I use either 2x3's or 2x4's to frame our evap pond (available for under $4 apiece). The tarp then goes up and around the boards, with the weight of the lumber keeping the tarp edges held in place beneath. At the end of the event, we have several boards that we're able to donate to Burners Without Borders. Yeah, we could theoretically take them back home with us, but it's not something we want to keep in storage and consider BWB a good destination.

[melodiousdirge]

12x12 is enough for a few people. Could always do multiples for more people.

I also wanted to say though - and I say this respectfully - I hate evap ponds. There are quite a few downsides IMO, not the least of which is that they are gross. Really gross if people throw their kitchen water in them. I've stepped in an unmarked one in the dark, and had spray from one in a windstorm spray on me. Nasty. I personally didn't get around to making an evap setup first year, despite being told I needed one. I wound up filtering and bleaching my grey water. That which was clean enough got sprinkled (NOT DUMPED) on the playa, and the rest (about 5 gallons) I just hauled out with me. You gotta bring containers to get the water there, so how much extra work is it to just haul it out in the same container?

For big camps and stuff I understand, and everyone's mileage will vary, but I'd encourage anyone considering one (especially one this small) to just haul your grey water out with you.

[melodiousdirge]

Sorry, I realize the OP wasn't asking whether an evap pond was a necessity. Didn't mean to thread jack.

[CornMan]

Don't worry about it. If you're talking about evap ponds, then it's all on topic. I ended up purchasing the lumber version. Our camp will have two 10x20 ponds made from 2x4s held together with Simpson metal brackets so it fits together like a kit. The wood was HEAVY when I put it up on my lumber rack.

[some seeing eye]

I have to say props to Mr Cornman for the lightweight route! I do have to agree that unmolested lumber is more reuseable than reused drainpipe. I don't think StrongTies are necessary. I have built several evap ponds and somewhere I have technical guidelines for sizing. But today I would send people to research the "evapotron" which is also on Instructables.

If you undersize your pond, and don't taper use the last days, you will be dealing with a nasty mess of liquid, playa mud settled from dust storms and whatever solids were in your waste. if you haven't done that before it can be a very nasty surprise. If you have dealt, you know.