Gray-water biofilter design?

   
I have been thinking about how to design a gray water filter with stuff I already have. I watched a few videos, but none of them tell how deep the roots of Cattails will grow. But maybe it does not matter.

The hard part is how to keep the grease in the 5 gallon bucket from filling and clogging the volcanic rock. The only thing I have  thought of is to use some kind of panel filter over the holes in the bottom of the upside down bucket. Any ideas??

I do not want to buy a bath tub like one video showed how to use it as the secondary filter. They will cost $70 with the tax at the “waste-not-want-not” recyclery store. Unlike the video where he says he got them for only $10@.

Maybe I should not have the cattails growing out of the first barrel? Just the second one. See this video: “Simple Permaculture-Based Grey-Water Treatment System”.

I was lucky to find these two barrels for only about $30@ on Creg's list locally. I think the volcanic gravel will cost too much also, and he did say it needs to be replaced every few years. I may use plain gravel.
 

With my experience, you will need to have the grease trap much more accessible than you have shown.
I would have situated in the inlet line prior to entering the system.\ Grease traps will have solid material that will not flow out a discharge pipe.
If you can create a basket that fits in, which can be removed it may be easier to clean.

Odd how I was notable to find the threads about gray water [Grey water filtering (grey water forum at permies)] and [grey water system design for cold climate] until I posted this thread. Maybe Google thought I was not serious.

looks like a particle trap before the grease trap is important...and if using sand it should be for the second stage? And maybe the grease trap should be separate...so it will be easier to clean out; or dump out the ice. Not that I will want to deal with it. But it would be good for the compost barrels I have.

We have plenty forest with sandy soil here to drain to after cleaning out phosphates with roots.

Is it possible to use bamboo to get rid of the phosphates or are they to sensitive to standing in water?  Has anyone tried bamboo?
What temp does swamp grass die at? It does freeze hard here once in a while. But never below 18f cold enough to kill roots of most anything in a pot. Are there any freeze proof swamp grasses?
Seattle, Washington is in USDA Hardiness Zones 8b and 9a

Ever Green Swamp Plants??

[Plan B] Now that I have the plumbing done, I am thinking about using a barrel for a methane digester of the particles from my kitchen sink. I plan to make sure there is no grease poured down the sink because it would probably clog the pipes eventually.

Then the water will go to a tub with some kind of wetland plants in gravel for the bio filter.
I plan to use septic tank bacteria starter. I suspect it will digest anything.

Does anyone know of an ever green Coniferous swamp plant that does not need full sun?  But will the bacteria be too strong for plants?
Maybe Skunk Cabbage?
Arrow bamboo?

aquatic plants to treat waste water

ROOT DEPTH
If planning to transplant cattails dig into the soil to a depth of 12 to 18 inches in order not to cause damage to the rhizomes.

Well after several years of just letting the grey water drip onto the ground after exiting the tank through a simple tube and no grease trap there is no residue on the ground, just grass and rhododendrons close.   I don't run much water into the tank, just one person.  Never poor cooking grease into a septic tank. How ever I do smell methane after taking a shower. If I live long enough I will put a charcoal filter on the top vent.                        


I still want swamp cabbage with lots of roots to collect phosphates. Not that I would recognize symptoms....are there any to look for??

I just got a horse radish root free at the food bank, maybe that would be a good filter plant???

For the cattails, don’t stress too much about root depth—they’re pretty adaptable and should do fine in a barrel as long as they have some space to spread out.Grease can be a pain, so maybe think about creating a grease trap before the water reaches your main filter. Something like a small container or bucket where the grease can rise to the top could work, and then you could skim it off regularly. You could also use some steel wool or mesh as a filter layer to catch the grease before it hits the volcanic rock or gravel. gravel, it’s a solid, budget-friendly alternative to volcanic rock. It might not filter as efficiently, but it’ll still get the job done and is easier to replace when needed.