Cisterns on SBH
- Thread starter stbartshopper
- Start date
stbartslover
Senior Insider
This has nothing to do with cisterns, but...
The approved grey water system on St Barth works like this:
1) from lowest point in the villa into septic tank which has a aerator to break down solids
2) by gravity into a secondary tank.
3) pumped through filters (changed every other month) up the hill, some goes into a drain field which percolates into the coarse sand.
4) by gravity down to water the garden.
Voila----as long as this system is well maintained, there is no odor whatsoever and the jardin is green or vert!
The approved grey water system on St Barth works like this:
1) from lowest point in the villa into septic tank which has a aerator to break down solids
2) by gravity into a secondary tank.
3) pumped through filters (changed every other month) up the hill, some goes into a drain field which percolates into the coarse sand.
4) by gravity down to water the garden.
Voila----as long as this system is well maintained, there is no odor whatsoever and the jardin is green or vert!
NYCFred
Senior Insider
Yeah, but JEK's right. Toilets = blackwater.
sinks, showers = greywater.
How prevalent are they? Any idea?
I agree with Wayne. The cost of importing shipments of 10 gallon bottles instead of 1 or 1.5 liter bottles should be less so with the added cost of delivering the bottles to the villas, the cost may be the same or nominally higher. If , and I assume they are, restaurants are pouring water from bottles then that would a big decrease in the amount of plastic being burned. While I have many pleasant memories of my trips to the island, driving by burning garbage on the way to Saline is not one of them.
stbartslover
Senior Insider
It's not a clean distinction between sanitary or sanitare and greywater the way the system is designed to operate, which it does quite well.
Water which is mixed between the two is aerated before it enters the 2nd tank and pumped through a pair of filters which is captured to water the garden.
JEK is describing a system that is not maintained or properly vented (some places I would assume have space constraints that do not allow) or system that does not have multiple tanks/filters.
In our case, which is the approved method of new construction, the septic tank is vented via a pipe up the hill so there is no odor whatsoever.
Water which is mixed between the two is aerated before it enters the 2nd tank and pumped through a pair of filters which is captured to water the garden.
JEK is describing a system that is not maintained or properly vented (some places I would assume have space constraints that do not allow) or system that does not have multiple tanks/filters.
In our case, which is the approved method of new construction, the septic tank is vented via a pipe up the hill so there is no odor whatsoever.
stbartslover
Senior Insider
John, you're exactly right.
Entire system components must function together.... piping, timer, aerator, filters, and pump.
My plumbing contractor charges an annual fee to change filters and make certain the system is OK.
The Gardener knows too, if there is a problem since he maintains the drip system.
Entire system components must function together.... piping, timer, aerator, filters, and pump.
My plumbing contractor charges an annual fee to change filters and make certain the system is OK.
The Gardener knows too, if there is a problem since he maintains the drip system.
elgreaux
Senior Insider
in theory they don't burn garbage on the way to Saline... the incinerator is in Public and I have never noticed it to smell... we are very lucky to have trash pick up on a daily basis except for Sundays and holidays with bottles and cans for recycling in a clear plastic bag picked up once a week depending on where you live... now if we could just get folks to stop throwing their trash onto the side of the road....!
tim
Moderator
Jeff, I'd bet your system is maintained in the top 5% on the island. I'll say it again, visitors should always drink and cook with bottled water while on St. Barth.
When we had our home in Vitet, I watered my garden with gray water, but then, I don't smell well.(adverb intentional)
When we had our home in Vitet, I watered my garden with gray water, but then, I don't smell well.(adverb intentional)
tim
Moderator
Absolutely, I used to dump in a gallon of Clorox every now and then when it crossed my mind. However, the fish didn't really like it that much
sxmbeachlover
SBH Insider
I guess we have been living dangerously, but we have drunk (yes drunk the water at a number of different villas over the last dozen or so years! I think we'll switch to rum!
the water at a number of different villas over the last dozen or so years! I think we'll switch to rum!
