Grey/Black Water Splitter or Y Valve/Switch to Install at House Exit?

Greetings,

We just finished building our house on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. For various reasons we built pretty conventionally, stick built on a concrete slab. It was to be a shop on the first floor and an art studio on the second, but time and money being what it is for us, part way through it had to become the house and will likely stay that way. All our plumbing exits the house in one pipe, and that plumbing is in the slab. I would like to create some sort of Y situation with a switching valve of some sort just after it leaves the house so I can send the grey water through a wetland area to a pond. I could either have some sort of lever I move that's right outside the door, or in an ideal world there might be some kind of electric valve I could actuate with a switch in the house? Is there anything like this available does anyone know?

Thanks,

Peter.

I think you're looking for something like this, but ideally, electrified: https://www.thenaturalhome.com/septicdirectorvalve/

But my impression is that most people would not call what you want to call greywater, grey. It'll be black because there will always be fecal residue in the drainpipes before the splitter.

And so you're probably stuck having all the slab-level floor-drains combined (and black), but you could retrofit the structure so that first-floor sink drains and drains from the second floor exit through the wall and into your greywater wetland system.

Christopher Weeks wrote:I think you're looking for something like this, but ideally, electrified: https://www.thenaturalhome.com/septicdirectorvalve/

But my impression is that most people would not call what you want to call greywater, grey. It'll be black because there will always be fecal residue in the drainpipes before the splitter.

And so you're probably stuck having all the slab-level floor-drains combined (and black), but you could retrofit the structure so that first-floor sink drains and drains from the second floor exit through the wall and into your greywater wetland system.

Well there you go! (regarding the mixing of grey and black at the start). I hadn't thought this through very far! We only have water on the first floor. Making your suggestion work with the washer and likely the temporary kitchen sink (until we build an addition that we can plan better!) could work pretty well. I'd love to get the shower in there too, and it could be done, but it would be pretty serious work, and there's also the need (but how much of a need?) to have additional water go down the septic piping to make sure the black water makes it to the tank a good ways away and with a lot more slope than 1/4" per foot.

Thank you.

A less expensive option would be to put a 3" WYE and then put an RV gate valve on each side. The gate valves are $20. You can search 3" RV gate valve.

They also have 4" options for more $$ and electric operated ones for even more $$$.

Here is the one that is ready to go and electric but $$$$

https://unitedrvparts.com/products/valterra-ez-valve-electric-waste-valve-3-hub-x-hub-x-hub-double-rotating-flange-e85-8?variant=45365270708527&srsltid=AfmBOorEj4Oi4ApaOvTTHr0joxOlSYJZP8FN8U8mx7CJCQVAs7tHXk4RBdo&gQT=1

Josh Hoffman wrote:A less expensive option would be to put a 3" WYE and then put an RV gate valve on each side. The gate valves are $20. You can search 3" RV gate valve.

They also have 4" options for more $$ and electric operated ones for even more $$$.

Here is the one that is ready to go and electric but $$$$

https://unitedrvparts.com/products/valterra-ez-valve-electric-waste-valve-3-hub-x-hub-x-hub-double-rotating-flange-e85-8?variant=45365270708527&srsltid=AfmBOorEj4Oi4ApaOvTTHr0joxOlSYJZP8FN8U8mx7CJCQVAs7tHXk4RBdo&gQT=1

Great ideas Josh! Thanks for posting these.

What do you think about what Christopher said about there being no such thing as grey water at this point, as everything is mixing in the pipes under the slap?

Peter Hutter wrote:What do you think about what Christopher said about there being no such thing as grey water at this point, as everything is mixing in the pipes under the slap?

Christopher is correct.

You could change to an alternative toilet system to solve the issue if you are concerned. I would have a mulched swale/trench for the discharge to start in and work its way to the pond and I wouldn't worry about it, but that is me.