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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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when i saw you post i was going to say you dont have neighbors hahaha
but dumping oil is NOT organic garbage disposal which is the title of the thread
im dissapointed in mulegena still dumping oil from the kitchen sink after
dumping oil is not acting in the best interests of the earth
they should have taught this in her composting class
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
when i saw you post i was going to say you dont have neighbors hahaha
but dumping oil is NOT organic garbage disposal which is the title of the thread
im dissapointed in mulegena still dumping oil from the kitchen sink after
dumping oil is not acting in the best interests of the earth
they should have taught this in her composting class |
Did I say I was still dumping oil from the kitchen
sink? Did I say I'd taken a composting class?
I'm building a house and exploring options on ways to create a good lifestyle and be a good neighbor and citizen. That's why I created this thread and
have been politely asking questions and sharing information.
We're not talking 50-weight motor oil dumped down the drain or out onto the ground, either, which does need to be disposed of properly-- that's not
what this thread is about. I believe that oil is organic if I recall my college chemistry, but I may be wrong. Down the drain into a septic system to
leach out into the ground or whatever, I agree oil needs to be handled properly.
The issue of a bit of cooking oil, along with other issues of debris from household use is the jist of my inquiry.
Either way, you don't know my cooking habits or lifestyle. You have no reason to criticize me.
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Mulegena
We're still going to go with direct drainage to plants of all grey water including kitchen sink. |
be aware im NOT "green"...i drive 25 miles to get one tank of water...i try but there are limitations to what we can do for the earth
im really sorry i upset you...but this quote says (to me at least) ...oil is going outside...everyone uses oil to cook
oil is oil
oil does not break down and is not good for the enviorment
actually i dont understand why you need to use grey water in town...
all the water you can use only costs about $10usa in mulege a month
adding water in your septic system is actually good for it
you should learn how a septic tanks work
actually the BEST thing you could do to be "green"
is buy a $500usa three stage PLASTIC septic tank and drop it in the ground with 200 feet of leach line
NOT cement...they ALL leak poisons into the ground
then grow plants on top of the leach line
the water... when it leaves a "correct" septic tank...
is pretty clean...but does contain nitrogen
plants love nitrogen...it makes them green
in the usa when you see "plants are watered with recycled water"...this water is treated
the grey water from your house can be routed to the second chamber to give the first "bad" chamber time to process the "loads"
building a "clean" septic system is the best thing you can do to try to be "green"
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redmesa
Senior Nomad
Posts: 580
Registered: 3-12-2008
Location: Van Isle and Bahia Asuncion
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Here on Vancouver Island on our property we recycle or compost everything ...except---plastic wrap and styrofoam (some types). Once a month we take
all our recyclables to the plant and all our food waste goes in a compost pile which is used for our bamboo. We do not eat meat and cook with olive
oil and our compost pile works like a hot damn!
In Baja we try. We have grey water for the flower beds and the kitchen goes in a ground tank. The septic is a standard to local standards. Our
veggies are composted with mesquite soil added. The lack of recyclable plastics, bottles, and cans is a big problem.
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
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The water problems of Baja
Yes, there is a municipal water line that serves every colonia in town, I believe. However, the problem lies in the lack of water that reaches the
more remote colonias or those that are high up on the hillside. Those areas are served last, and if the homes closer into town use more than they
probably should, the distant homes just don't get much water. Additionally, water is rationed and is not available on a daily basis but only a few
days a week and a few hours within those days.
There's another problem:
The local standard of septic system is not designed nor equipped to handle a large load of water. The homes' lot sizes generally aren't large enough
to afford a 200' leach line for their antiquated systems and can't be retrofitted. Additionally, more than one house may share one of these funky old
tanks. They really should be used only for black water. That's just the way it is.
The townspeople are doing their best with a woefully inadequate system. I'm disturbed when I see leaking faucets or people washing their cars or using
the municipal water to spray the dirt streets in front of their house to settle the dust a bit, but that's the way it is in this imperfect world.
Its ironic that Mulege is a true oasis in the desert. It has a source of fresh water, unlike most of pueblos in Baja. That water is not being utilized
to any degree of efficiency.
There still exists a concrete aqueduct line on both sides of the river which used to divert the fresh water to the outlying colonias. My husband
remembers this from his childhood. He also recalls his family drawing water from naturally occurring cisterns and using these resources in their homes
for what was then rich personal gardens & orchards. He can easily point out the exact locations of these cisterns. They fell into disuse when the
town brought waterlines to the outlying colonias; with their advent the lush vegetable gardens of my husband's family disappeared. Sad, but a reality
here.
My husband and I are attempting to deal with this as best we can. We'd like to have a modest personal garden. Some of the trees that his grandparents
planted are still alive and can be revived with proper care.
We personally use very, very little cooking oil, save and consume left-overs and moderate our water use. For instance, right now we're renting while
we build. The landlord designed all our water to go into her septic. We have no garden and do no laundry here. I have one plant that I keep fresh with
the condensation inside the refrigerator that I catch. I fill our freshwater holding tank from the landlord's tinaco. For the two of us our
discretionary water use is about 15 to 20 gallons a day. I provide drinking for the animals from the drip that my hose makes while our tank is being
filled every morning. If my car is dirty, I dust it off inside and out and give it a good 3-gallon wash if we're going someplace special. We buy
5-gallon drinking water and consume about 15 gallons per week.
This leads into a new thread that I'll start: the issue of water.
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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Mood: Full Time Residents
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actually you are wrong
the reason water is not on for the entire town is not because there is a small supply
but because there is not enough pressure from the 2 pumps that send it to the town
more wells... more pumps... would end that problem
education would assist too...teach the young
if you are building a new house you should install your own septic tank
a no brainer and part of "correct" building
and 200 feet of leach line is not really that much area
it doesnt have to be in a straight line
taking water from the neighbor is compounding the problem
you should open your own account and pay the city for your water like the rest of us
you are disturbed about leaking faucets...the solution is easy...meters at every house...pay for what you use
never use the river water ever...its poluted...the ONLY thing that saves the river is the tide...in and out
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
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I'm going to close this thread now, for Bob and Susan seem to be flaming me at every opportunity and misconstruing my words. I have no idea why. I
will not be opening another thread about water.
I never said I was not paying for my own water "like everybody else". This is insulting! I do pay for the sparse and intermittent water I receive,
every month $148 pesos to SAPA. Its a modest amount to pay but the quality and quantity/availability of it is the problem everyone here in town faces.
It is my neighbor, a family member, who is tapped into my existing septic system, not I into hers. Her house is on what used to be a large extensive
family plot of homestead land. If it becomes a problem we shall deal with it as a family.
Bob and Susan have given adequate advice from which I've learned, but have consistently done so in an aggressive and adversarial manner which is
definitely not appreciated.
To all others who have contributed to this thread in a constructive manner, I thank you.
"Raise your words, not your voice. It's rain that grows flowers, not thunder." ~Rumi
"It's the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." ~ Aristotle
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