I live in the country and am building a small workshop away from the house. I would like to have a wash sink (no toilet, etc.) for minor cleaning. I would anticipate less than a hundred gallons a month of water would be used. Getting the water to the building is no problem, but I can’t tie into the existing septic system very easily and would prefer to not have a holding tank or let it drain on the ground. Does anyone have any suggestions for a cheap method to dispose of waste water?
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A $3.00 bucket under the sink that gets dumped into the storm sewer?? Doesnt' get much cheaper than that....lol.
Look into a dry sink. You dig a pit, fill it with gravel or rock, maybe put landscape cloth over that, and then put a layer of dirt back on top. Run your waste pipe into the gravel, and you're done. In essence, you're making a big surface area for water to be absorbed into the earth. These things may not be used for water from toilets. Their capacity, like leach fields, depends on the percolation ability of the land. Just for good housekeeping, put the dry sink away from your well and streams, and away from your foundation.
Another version of the drywell would be to dig a trench 15 - 20 feet long. Place washed stone, then a perforated PVC, then cover with fabric and stone and fabric. Then grade soil back over. This has the advantage of allowing evaporation to help and you needn't dig as deep.
Couple the drain from the sink to it but be sure toi use traps and vents still. Methane is not fun to have in the shop!
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