Any of you guys on a septic tank?

[Gilligan]

New shop that I'm looking to buy is on a septic tank.   Just wondering if there is anything I should be worried about with all we put down the "drain"?

I do have a Mooseman settling tank that uses gravity to catch the solids, but that's all I'm doing about "filtering".

[tpitman]

I'd check with the local authorities. I know when I was looking for a warehouse space to lease I found out quick that they'd not let me have a "service sink" attached to a septic system. I was told there was nothing I could put down a drain that wasn't "household". That quickly eliminated a couple of places I'd found attractive for a shop.
Other than that, my own experience with residential septic systems is, keep 'em clean or have cash to flush down the toilet.

[screenprintguy]

We are but the only thing that goes down in that tank is from our bodies. Our reclaiming goes outside into sand, which filters any particulates nicley. If there Is any solids build up over time, we simply roll it up like a fruit roll up and throw it out as the sand does a great job of holding any solids up top. A septic tank will clog in the drain field, so never flush in one with your reclaiming.

Epa tested us last year, all clean with the chemistry we use. Tested our neighbors shop failed big time. And code violations in hid tank as his guys would drain powdered reclaimer waste down the drain.

[Gilligan]

We are but the only thing that goes down in that tank is from our bodies. Our reclaiming goes outside into sand, which filters any particulates nicley. If there Is any solids build up over time, we simply roll it up like a fruit roll up and throw it out as the sand does a great job of holding any solids up top. A septic tank will clog in the drain field, so never flush in one with your reclaiming.

Epa tested us last year, all clean with the chemistry we use. Tested our neighbors shop failed big time. And code violations in hid tank as his guys would drain powdered reclaimer waste down the drain.

VERY interested in this sand trap.  Actually plumbing drain from wherever I would put my washout would actually be a pretty big pain, so if I can avoid that completely that would be SUPERB!!

Please provide us some details on this setup!

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

We are but the only thing that goes down in that tank is from our bodies. Our reclaiming goes outside into sand, which filters any particulates nicley. If there Is any solids build up over time, we simply roll it up like a fruit roll up and throw it out as the sand does a great job of holding any solids up top. A septic tank will clog in the drain field, so never flush in one with your reclaiming.

Epa tested us last year, all clean with the chemistry we use. Tested our neighbors shop failed big time. And code violations in hid tank as his guys would drain powdered reclaimer waste down the drain.

Now THAT is a great idea!

As a former farmer and rural guy, I can tell you that septic tanks are pretty fiddly.  We had to pump ours out several times, but luckily, our Alfalfa field was adjacent to the farmhouse, and the service truck just dumped the....um....stuff right there. No muss, no fuss.

This sand thing looks like the cat's meow to me!

My son is building a paint booth at his farm for his 100% rural Oklahoma, fledgling collision repair service. He farms wheat too, so a "winter job" is the way to survive. His place is a rural farmstead, miles from anywhere. People know him and he's good, having apprenticed for 10 years already, so business is already coming in.  I wish the sand idea would work for him too, but his waste products are different that a screenprinter.

I wonder if he could line a sand pit filter with a membrane and do a similar thing.

(Brain spinning, spinning, spinning.)

Screenprintguy, are you out in the country?  I don't think so, or you wouldn't have have a neighboring printshop. How big is your sandpit and how deep?

[screenprintguy]

Polk county is quasi po dunk, lol. Our building is in an industrial section, all commercial and industrial buildings. Polk County, at least up till now, instead of massive drainage systems for storm water, they build these huge sugar sand pits, neighborhoods, plazas, warehouses ect. So between our building, and the building next to us, there is a huge 200' x 600' sand pit. In the back corner of our building, where we reclaim, we were able to run the drain out the wall, to a section of the sand pit that is level with the building height, it jus so happened to have a concrete gutter that keeps roof water from eroding next to the building. the drain water collects in the pit and then water drains right through that sand and down into the run off pit. It worked out great for us, but if we moved, I would just mimic it. Maybe have a 3" drain pipe coming out of the wall, and then dig about 4' down, fill with peat rock for good percolation, top that with the silica or white sugar sand, maybe form a pour a concrete curb say 4-4' equal sides to contain the sand. The drain pipe right into the home made percolation pit would work nicely. Any solids sit up top, and you can roll that crap up how ever frequently you find necessary. If you are using the right chemistry, you should be good to not drain any toxins. We like Franmar Beenie doo as our main ink degrader as it's claim to fame is that it turns plastisols into "drain safe" liquid. Since you aren't actually going into the city drain, you are even "1" uping the system with a nice natural filter. We don't use any mineral spirits or anything like that, just beenie doo, citrus based kor-chem, and cci chems, all considered drain safe. I feel the sand is the way to go, you can actually see what's actually coming out of your booth that way too.

[Itsa Little CrOoked]

We don't have a "thank you" button. Do we??

I can't see why this wouldn't work for Gilly. 


And I'm mulling over the idea for my middle's farm.  His employer (until next month) had a "visit" from a state enviro-nazi and got a hefty 10K bill for absolutely stupid stuff. Paint cans left open to purposely evaporate the solvents before tossing, paint chips in the sandblast pit (Duh. That's why they sandblast plows, tractors, tanks, and equipment before repainting. Double Duh) and various even more miniscule faux paxs. 

Some EPA is good and sensible.  But wow.  They are out of control.

[Gilligan]

I'm wondering if I can't keep this above ground?  Not opposed to embedding it, I guess I just think of how much rain we get and it "LOOKS" like I'm just draining into the ground with no concerns.  If I had a "box" that all this was contained in it MIGHT be easier to see it as a "device" to filter.  Might be more trouble than it's worth to build a "box" vs just dig a "box".

[Mark @ Hurricane Printing]

I will be building a garage/shop on 5 acres I own in a rural area (which I will eventually build me a house also), I will have to install a septic tank and also drill for well water.....and the area of the "shop" that will be dedicated to my screen printing biz I was wondering what to do about draining from booth. I want to avoid draining into the tank..I was going to simply drain it thru the wall and onto the area behind where my shop will be. The chemicals are environmentally safe so I figured "why not"...let it drain right into the ground...but making a little sand pit seems like a sweet idea. I'm pretty sure I will do this when I build it.

Im thinking of a 4,000 to 5,000 sq ft steel building/garage and putting a dividing wall right down the middle of it. In a perfect world I think that anyway haha.

[screenprintguy]

Gill, you could totally do it above ground, if you use a sump pump to pump into your contraption, you would still want to dig a little and replace top soil with some sort of rock, heavy gravel or peat rock to percolate down, but as long as your staged right, it's a natural fitering system. Actually a modified "French drain system". Cheap too, just a lil back breaking work to build it, but it will be way less than a chem filtering system. Those things get gunked up too fast for the cost involved, buy the right chems and you are good to go.

[Gilligan]

Just to make sure we are all on the same page.

We are talking about something along these lines, but more basic and simpler on a smaller scale?

http://www.sswm.info/category/implementation-tools/wastewater-treatment/hardware/semi-centralised-wastewater-treatments/n

[tpitman]

I'm wondering if I can't keep this above ground?  Not opposed to embedding it, I guess I just think of how much rain we get and it "LOOKS" like I'm just draining into the ground with no concerns.  If I had a "box" that all this was contained in it MIGHT be easier to see it as a "device" to filter.  Might be more trouble than it's worth to build a "box" vs just dig a "box".

I would be inclined to find out what is legal. Drain safe chemistry doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to pour it out on the ground, whether through sand or not, to seep untreated into the groundwater. I don't think I'd want the EPA on my case for groundwater contamination. Just my opinion.

[screenprintguy]

I  had an EPA inspection last year on ours. They don't care if it's going in an onsite filtration unit, a septic tank-(which they rather not), or down the drain, they want to see what is being flushed period. I can say, the mixture of chems we use all passed, BeenieDoo for ink degrading, CCI 107 for stain removing, CCI Neutralize, we were using Kor-Chem-ink and emulsion remover, I believe it's call complete at the time of inspection, switched to CCI micro wash, may go back to the Kor-Chem. Something to keep in mind, and I'm not sure if it has any baring on a test, but we also make sure we are using Phthalate free ink, and emulsion. Supposedly, the Beenie doo's chemistry has a ton to do with turning the plastisol "drain safe". But, you are right, it's worth checking first. A shop around the corner from us, using mineral spirits to de-ink, and powdered emulsion remover mixture, and some other nasty stuff for stain removing got smacked hard, after our pass, he now uses the same chems.

[Printficient]

We at Xenon recommend a step filter.  1st step is a mesh filter starting with 110 then 156 then 230 and finally 280.  Next is river rock then sand then lump wood charcoal and finally wood ash from the grill.

[Gilligan]

We at Xenon recommend a step filter.  1st step is a mesh filter starting with 110 then 156 then 230 and finally 280.  Next is river rock then sand then lump wood charcoal and finally wood ash from the grill.

Any drawings Sonny?  And thinks for not trying to sell a product in your reply.