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Septic tank wicks

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In dry climates, people spray perfectly drinkable water through the air onto their lawns, at the same time their septic tank allows partly treated water to percolate away into the ground via their "drainfields".

I propose that rather than a drainfield, the septic tanks use a wick system to wick water up from the tank to the lawn. When the house is put in, under the topsoil spread for the lawn would be a layer of durable, absorbent fabric. This would be tucked into the septic tank (the clean side) and would wick water up to the lawn via capillary action.

Waste not, want not.

—bungston, Aug 07 2004

Water Reuse http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid287.php
.. quit throwing out a perfectly good resource .. [bpilot, Oct 05 2004]

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       Potentially it seems excellent idea. You would also get the benefit of fertilizer properties in water.   

       Some refinement can lead to removal of bad smell. Actually there might not be any such need. I don't know whether where you live there is a standard pipe arrangement or not similar to chimney which discharges the gases out of septic tank at considerable height.
—vedarshi, Aug 08 2004
   

       Tree roots will find a way through the opening for the wick and grow inside of the septic tank, then work their way up through the pipes clogging them up. A big plus for a healthy tree, but a big fishbone for clogged pipes. This happened to me before. It took a long time for the roots to be cleaned out.
—destructionism, Aug 08 2004
   

       [destruc], that should not be an objection, as all septic systems are susceptible to root invasion. So you have to be careful with the landscaping whether there is a "wick" or not. See link about graywater use. (This idea qualifies as blackwater and would not be allowed in many municipalities. Still [+]).
—bpilot, Aug 08 2004
   


 

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