Grey Water

What is Grey Water?

Greywater is water that has been used for cooking, washing, dishwashing or bathing and contains soap, detergent, food scraps or food residue. Grey water disposal is a constant issue when living off-the-grid and adhering to a Leave No Trace policy. If you’ve been to Burning Man or Blazing Swan before, you’ll have experienced the challenge of managing this waste product!

“Why can’t I just chuck it on the ground or down the toilets?” you ask.

This is an absolute no no! Blazing Swan has a contract with the landowners and have undertaken to ensure that we do not introduce any contaminants to the land (which, by the way, is used for crop farming). With around 3000 people camping for 8 or more days, it would not take long before we created a biological environmental hazard with risk of unpleasant smells, infection and soil contamination. Toilets are for black water, not grey water. They get pumped out daily and the effluent is subject to highly regulated and costly treatment processes.

So… grey water is where Radical Self-Reliance meets Leave No Trace meets Civic Responsibility and the bottom line is: YOU made it – YOU pack it out.

The following options will help you devise a grey water management plan during your stay in Jilakin Rock City:

Make Less

The easiest grey water to dispose of, is the grey water you don’t produce. These tips should help you produce less or ‘safer’ grey water:
Use an alcohol-based disinfectant lotion to wash your hands before you handle food.
Plan a menu that uses only one pot or frying pan each meal.
Plan meals that use tortilla wraps…no need for a plate!
For dish or wash soap, go eco-friendly.
In your kitchen area, set up a low-volume water spray over a basin for dishwashing.
Wipe out dishes with paper towels before washing.
It’s possible to wash your body clean with a pint of water, soap, and a cloth.

Pack It Out

This involves making sure that you have enough containers to store your grey water in. Around two thirds the water you bring in will likely become grey water, so you’ll need enough storage to account for taking your grey water off site

The most effective way to store grey water is in a strong sealable container, as it will need to survive your journey home. A word of caution though: once you put grey water in them, your containers should never be used for anything else but this.

Use a cable tie to secure a funnel to your grey water container so that you avoid spills. By adding a square of cloth (old t-shirt, bedsheet etc) to your funnel, larger food scraps can be eliminated.

Greasy pans etc are probably better having the majority of grease absorbed with a paper towel or piece of kitchen roll.

When your grey water containers are full, seal and store them in a shady place. Remember that water weighs approx. 1kg per 1L. Any storage container above 25L capacity will be too heavy to lift easily.

Disposal

You can dispose of your grey water by:

Taking it home and flush it down the toilet.
Taking it home and using it to water your garden.
If you’ve treated the water with an oxidizing agent such as bleach etc, leave the container open for a couple of days as the chlorine content will mostly evaporate off. While there is a risk of some chlorine entering your garden… it is relatively low.

DO NOT empty your grey water containers anywhere in Kulin or by the side of the road on your way home. This is waaaay uncool and gives all Burners a bad name. Don’t be that person.

Smell your grey water, if left to sit, will eventually turn to black water in a matter of 48 to 72 hours. No it’s not poop, it’s because in 2 to 3 days the bacteria will have multiplied to a point where they become as hazardous as sewage. Shit happens!

Oxidizing solutions can be used to reduce the bacteria and hence, smell. Think strong oxidisers such as bleach, pool chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. A cap full per 10 litres will be enough and if left open for a couple of days back at home will mean that you can safely use the grey water on your garden.