| Waste is almost as broad a subject as food. Just as | | | | these septic tanks, there are lines dug that go far |
| there are even hundreds of different kinds of food | | | | out under the soil and redistribute the waste as the |
| from the plant kingdom to the animal kingdom, there | | | | tank fills. This has been done for hundreds of years |
| are close to that many kinds of waste. | | | | and there is not a thing wrong with it. For this type |
| Therefore, the subject of waste disposal cannot be | | | | of system, you will first need to run what is called a |
| properly treated in a short article, but waste disposal | | | | perk test to see how readily your soil absorbs |
| can be divided into its major parts with broad | | | | moisture. This can easily be done by someone else, |
| overview suggestions for solutions and resources for | | | | and usually has to be if you have to have your land |
| more information. | | | | certified through a local county for installation of a |
| How would you divide waste types? I divide them as | | | | waste system. If you elect to do this yourself, be |
| follows: | | | | aware that there is a LOT of sweat equity involved |
| 1. Garbage that can be burned. | | | | where you dig the huge hole for the tank to go in, |
| I will grant you that I spent a large portion of my life | | | | proper fittings that hook up to the house, and then |
| living in the country, and can you believe it? One of | | | | the trenches that go out from the tank. You will |
| our favorite things to do as kids was burn garbage, | | | | have varying amounts of sand, rock, and gravel to |
| usually in 55 gallon barrels, but sometimes this was | | | | deal with, so be prepared to spend some money, |
| done in a dirt pit, that was later covered up after | | | | although not nearly as much money as you would |
| everything had burned. Many times, this activity can | | | | spend if you hired someone else to do it. As I have |
| contribute to the nutrient-richness of the soil. You will | | | | said, this article does not come close to telling you |
| always be limited to being outside the city limits for | | | | what you need to know about septic systems. It is |
| this activity, though. This does mean that if your | | | | intended as a broad overview, but there are very |
| garbage is not separated, you will have to do so in | | | | detailed instructions for doing this available, some of it |
| order to only include that which can be incinerated | | | | in book form for sale, and some of it freely available |
| properly. | | | | as public domain books online. |
| 2. Garbage that can be recycled. | | | | 5.2) Waste Recycling / Reclamation Systems. |
| In waste recycling, you cannot expect to really get | | | | My brother-in-law had one of these and it seemed to |
| rich, but if you were throwing away plastic, metal, | | | | work quite well. In the 80's, Golden Gate Park in San |
| paper, biomass, and other recyclable goods anyway, | | | | Francisco also used this system to some degree. In |
| you may as well get paid something for it. Note: | | | | this system there is no septic system, per se, but |
| Some recyclable materials may not pay anything. But, | | | | the waste is processed through a tank chemically and |
| often they are good for someone, and you do not | | | | then re-dispersed through a sprinkler system in your |
| want it, so why not let them come by and get take | | | | large yard. His lawn always looked impeccable. I do |
| it? It is a solution that works out well for everyone. | | | | not know if this solution is really any cheaper than |
| 3. Composting - Application to Dry Organic Waste. | | | | the septic tank installation, but then, he was in the |
| Usually this is classified as biological waste, but usually | | | | recycling business, so his passion was in USING |
| it is comprised of things like hedge trimmings, yard, | | | | everything. When you live in the country, the more |
| garden waste, and various other vegetable or fruit, | | | | you use everything you produce, the more |
| or plant-type waste. It never includes plastics, paper, | | | | self-reliant you are. |
| or animal wastes (such as items left over after | | | | 5.3) Outhouses / Porta Potties. |
| dressing a deer or cleaning a fish). When I was a | | | | These are typically little houses that are about the |
| child, we ran greenhouses. We were very successful | | | | size of a small closet. They have a toilet in them. |
| at it, and we had huge compost piles. After some | | | | Underneath is a hole that holds chemicals to treat the |
| time, these compost piles, which had a lot of rich | | | | wastes deposited. At some point, this hole is filled in, |
| loamy dirt in them, were pulverized after sufficient | | | | and the house is moved to another location for fresh |
| time. This compost was then remixed into fresh soil, | | | | use. It is a good idea to also have this facility located |
| like leaf mole, and then cooked in barrels with burning | | | | down grade of your water supply. It is quite |
| wood under them to remove parasites and other | | | | primitive, but also quite useful for those who have |
| impurities. This soil was then used as potting soil for | | | | neither the money or inclination for a full-blown septic |
| the various flowering plants we sold, and also was | | | | system. There used to be a joke when houses were |
| used as a topsoil treatment in the gardens we raised. | | | | advertised in the 30's and beyond, something like |
| 4. Landfills - Almost everything else. | | | | "House with a bath for sale." People would jokingly |
| Unfortunately, you may need a home-grown dump | | | | remark, "Well at least it isn't a house with a PATH |
| on your land in which you bury things for decades | | | | for sale!" |
| until they rot into their basic elements. You would | | | | 5.4) A Shovel. |
| only need to do this for garbage that you cannot | | | | Ok, I think I may just spare any details here. You |
| dispose of in any other way. Be careful to always be | | | | get the idea. |
| down-grade of your water supply (Lower elevation | | | | I hope this has been an informative treatise about |
| than your water well) so that you do not | | | | waste disposal. Believe me, I do not know it all by a |
| contaminate your drinking water! | | | | long shot, and also I have just barely scratched the |
| 5. Septic Systems-Recyclable Sprinkler Waste | | | | surface. |
| Systems. | | | | This IS one of those things you MUST deal with if |
| I will try to discuss this without grossing anyone out. | | | | you hope to live in the country. Of course, you could |
| When you live in the city, you flush your toilet, or run | | | | find a place where septic, electricity, and water was |
| your washer, or you put things down the garbage | | | | already in place, and more power to you. But even if |
| disposal, and off they go into this magical | | | | you purchase a developed place to live with all the |
| never-never land where you are relieved of ever | | | | amenities, you are still going to have to be |
| having to concern yourself with the process. When | | | | conversant enough in the methods of waste disposal |
| you live a self-reliant lifestyle in the country, in this | | | | to take care of it when something goes wrong. |
| too, you must pay close attention. Usually human | | | | When you are self-reliant, something always invariably |
| waste is handled in four ways. | | | | goes wrong. That is why you are self-reliant. You FIX |
| They are: | | | | it. |
| 5.1) Septic Tanks. | | | | At the end of a long waste disposal day, it is kind of |
| Have I lost you yet? I hope not, because we need | | | | like a party, where you can relax, have a nice glass |
| to know this. Septic Tanks collect human waste from | | | | of wine, stare at the stars, and think about how nice |
| your toiletry, washing, and sinks. They are stored | | | | it was that you finally decided to leave that nasty old |
| underground to the tune of hundreds of gallons. From | | | | city. |