Arrested Development - Ex-Pats Mexico

I'm telling ya Sparks, plant in that pit and it will clean it up. You can even plant citrus and bananas and then eat the fruit with no bad effects other than perhaps mental ones. Or, plant cannas, gingers, heliconia, stuff that loves a lot of water. A screen for the lot, flowers and clean waste.

I thought we were talking about grey water for planting ... but I guess the water is kinda grey after leaving the septic. I'll try to put that pit where we can plant

This web site is interesting...
http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-su ... eptica.htm
...not so much the subject matter but the responses. I'm kinda bug eyed from reading the links and certainly didn't get to them all.
For some reason, I am fascinated by the workings of septic systems...I definitely would not have washing machine water going through the system again. Any and all info on the subject greatly appreciated. Thanks...Maggie

I like this article that was linked on Yucatan Living

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yo ... ystem.aspx

I'm still wondering how the top is constructed if you have a large tank. For our cistern we poured a top on the ground and moved it into place. I assume with a large tank the 'roof' has to be poured in place with wooden support like any roof. How to remove the wood after unless you have very large access ports

I got my reply on covering the septic .... they just use as little support wood as possible and leave it there

Say it again Sam. That seems like a good solution to taking something away. Leave it there, you bet.

Wells & Septic fields are crazy up here now - the system must be engineered/stamped, and can only be installed by approved contractors. A typical upscale, medium size, new house was built last year two doors down, my neighbour told me that the homeowners paid $100,000 (Cdn) for the water wells and septic field.

Where you are is unique weather wise because you get at least 6 months of dry, warm weather - gray water and black water will always be constant as long as someone is living there. Then you get at least two months of heavy rains, with no, or very little 'storm drains'. This is can create problems. The book I was mentioning "Foundations & Concrete Work", from the editors of Fine Homebuilding (Taunton), explains that today most new subdivisions in the United States do not provide storm sewer hookups. The systems are already overloaded, and technologies like pervious concrete (water runs through it, rather than along it) and the book shows how to build dry wells, french drains - but they are all referring to roof runoff water, sump pump run off water. Soil at the bottom of the trench is mixed with dry cement and tamped. Then the smooth pipe (size depends on volume needed), with cleanouts every 50 feet, then gravel, then filter fabric (landscape cloth), then the topsoil. This will transport surplus water anywhere you want to go. The Australian ebook on greywater that I have, says the problem with greywater is that it still contains fecal matter from the washing. I had a little chuckle about Australians, but then again, who really knows?

Does anyone use cloth diapers anymore. I'm not that close to real young kids to know. The only Pampers I see are during Semana Santa when bus and car loads are here on the beach

Just stay away from wearing thongs (aka "butt floss") and you should be all right!

Cloth diapers are a thriving business in Canada. And have been for a few decades. I cloth diapered our three kids back around that time:)

Even though cloth diapers are still far outsold by disposable diapers, there are still quite a number of families that chose this more environmentally friendly option. I

When our grandson was a baby in Mexico, he was undiapered quite a bit of the day when lying in his hammock with a washeable towel under his sweet cheeks. Plenty of water in Colima, for frequent washings and air-drying.

Disposable diapers used at night and when shopping and/or visiting people. From what I saw, this diapering practice was pretty common-place with other families we knew.