So we are first timers and our camp has an experimental shower system. It's totally decadent and I'm not suggesting that it has any practical benefits whatsoever. I realize that you can show up to burningman being lean and green and such, and this is the unnecessary excessive opposite. So look at it more like the crazy laser or fire breathing contraption than like a reasonable camp shower. We have a small camp this year so it will not be taxed much, but we are doing reconnaissance for our larger group that are going to camp with us in years to come. I built this with plans to return
So our shower is recirculating and has an over capacity water treatment system that deals with all the effluviant that a playa dust covered hippie brings to the table.
Small particle dust
Human body oils, dead skin, hair, and stuff.
Soluble soap
Potential diseases --- it has 3 independent methods for sterilizing the water to prevent any disease. Any one of which is adequate.
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The heart of the sytem is ozone oxidation. Built from parts, 2 x 8 gram per hour ozone generator and cooling system for them, 50 LPM air pump to help the tubing run that leads to the two venture ozone injectors. The ozone sterilizes and it oxidizes any organics including the soluble soap.
So the water comes out of the shower head and collects at the floor drain.
It goes into the first of 4 sedimentation buckets, each can be automatically drained and pumped out and made to be grey water if sediment or such builds up.
Water goes into the second bucket which is supplied with one of the two 8 gram per hour ozone generator injected in a recirculating venturi ozone injection system
Water then into the third bucket that contains the overflow outlet that drains into a big 12 gallon tote, which also pumps that water back into bucket 4 to buffer the system volume and accomodat turn ons and turn offs. The third bucket has the second of the two 8 gram per hour ozone generator pumping into it with a second venturi injector sytem.
Then into the fourth bucket which is topped off continually, excess drains off of bucket #3. The pump gets it water from bucket #4 and the ORP (oxidation reduction potential) meter has its probe in bucket #4, even with common soap loads the ORP stay at >600 which is considered a sterilizing concentration. Hot tubs that use ozone only shoot for 300-400.
Then into a 3/4 hp pool pump -> output manifold, 1/3 to ozone venturi #1, 1/3 to ozone venturi #2, 1/3 to the main filter.
So then to a diatamcious earth pool filter. Get down to 2 microns, is back washable, and holds large volumes of filtrate.
Then to a large pool sand filter that is filled with 150 lbs of activated carbon. This gets any soap. of course the soap has been oxidized by the hyper ozone, so some will congeal and be filtered by the DE filter, but any soluble soap is caught in the large carbon filter. Using only simple Castile soap which is vegetable oil based only, (Hemp and almond oil selected cause Dr. Bronners was out of Hemp and patchouli
)Then from the large charcoal filter, to a pre filter to get charcoal dust, then to a sub micron serilizing ceramic filter that would get any pathogens out. Then to a 12 gallon per minute UV sterilzer.
The last two are redundant, but too sterile is fine and if something fucks up, we would still have one of them.
Then split into cold water and some goes to an on demand LP gas water heater, then to the shower head then back around again.
Now there are tons of issues. Everthing needs to be grounded so that it is safe and so that GFI plugs will work, so Im bringing 3 copper grounding rods and grounding the shower copper pipe, the pumps, the Generator and the chassis of the RV and Trailer all to real playa ground.
The DE filter needs a full pool quantity flow to "set" the DE material into the matrix, so there is a seperate pump to load the DE filter when we get there and if it needed backwash and replenishment.
So thats a hassle. I built this capability in, and GreyCoyote (who seems to have experience with all sorts of crazy things) mentioned that DE filters might lose their media matrix thing if moved and
driven over bumps and such. So Ill just empty it before the trip and load it fresh on site.
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So thats it. I'm thrilled that all the test seem to be as hoped, but I realize that the playa may give me challanges I haven't thought of. Took it apart and packed it on the trailer today, what a
relief.
Pictures are random and there is one more decorative reed screen and many more shower curtains. It seems that most showers I've seen are pretty open, and while we aren't prudes, this setup provides
full privacy.
