• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Hydroponics and grey water?

 
Posts: 80
Location: http://projectecogrid.com/
2
transportation tiny house woodworking
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Any Ideas on grey water and using that for hydroponics inside? Does anyone currently do this now, what kind of set up is involved?
 
Posts: 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I am starting a grey water aquaponics system. I know it sounds redundant but I have a water foot print neutral Idea. if I can grow talapia and Veggies with filtered and processed grey water, awsome. Un fortunately I do not have any digital plans only analog pen and paper stuff but it will be a self leveler vortex brewer. Replenished from a settling tank that drains to the brewer to final stage clean refill compartment for the aquaponics system. I will be using only organic castile soap for the experiment so that my family dosent injest wierd chemicals. but I anticipate great yield as I will be using bokashi and worm tea as my main fertalizers. if this works I have a pretty sweet system to cut my footprint substantially in many diffrent areas. I will be able to send pictures along the way as construction will be starting in the next few weeks.
 
pollinator
Posts: 4022
Location: Kansas Zone 6a
284
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
True hydroponics? or aquaponics? or biological cells like in an earthship?

 
pollinator
Posts: 3827
Location: Massachusetts, Zone:6/7 AHS:4 GDD:3000 Rainfall:48in even Soil:SandyLoam pH6 Flat
555
2
forest garden solar
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
While the people at the gardenpool, does have a greywater aquaponic(fish/veggie) system.
I am not too sure about such a system, due to the fact that leaves/nuts/fish bio-accumulate mineral(good) and Toxins(bad)
So to err on the side of caution I would only send my grey water to fruit trees.
 
Posts: 1670
Location: Fennville MI
83
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I don't have any actual experience yet with any o fthis, just some research and general knowledge.

The thoughts that come to mind for me are (a) what do you plan to use for feeding your plants in your hydroponic system? (b) what inputs are going into your grey water (soap, detergent, baking soda, vinegar...? )? (c) how do those chemicals interact with one another and what effect will that interaction have on the plants?

For example, you might not want a hydroponic fertilizer with much phosphate in it if your grey water is carrying a load of phosphate from some detergent. There could be some chemical combinations that would actually be reactive and make some portion of the fertilizer ineffective - possibly even toxic.

So, it seems to me, the very first thing is to figure out all your inputs into the system and determine how well they will play with one another.

Other than that, I don't see what would really be different from a hydroponic system running fresh water versus one running grey water.

 
Look! I laid an egg! Why does it smell like that? Tiny ad, does this smell weird to you?
the permaculture bootcamp in winter (plus half-assed holidays)
https://permies.com/t/149839/permaculture-projects/permaculture-bootcamp-winter-assed-holidays
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic