Discharging grey water to stream/Emergency NHS camping

What changes can we make to our lives to deal with the economic and energy crises ahead? Have you already started making preparations? Got tips to share?

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adam2
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by adam2 »

The suggestions made regarding energy saving, heat pumps, and recovering the heat output of the generator are all worthy of consideration for a longer term or permanent installation.

Not however applicable to the present emergency situation.
The generator is hired and therefore can not be modified.
Each dwelling unit is well separated from the others for infection control.
The generator is well away from anything else in case of fire and due to noise.
The washing machines and tumble dryers are in a shed for use by all, but with only one person at a time to use the facilities for social distancing. Least first cost, simplicity, and short cycle time are a higher priority than energy saving.
Another shed contains two showers.
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BritDownUnder
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by BritDownUnder »

I'd be guessing that with the pandemic going as it is now it may be a bit more permanent than you might think.

What the generator hire company does not know won't hurt them.
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by kenneal - lagger »

Put a shroud over the output from the genny cooling fan and put the heat pump collector under the same shroud arranged so that there is a through put of air. No changes necessary to the genny.
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adam2
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by adam2 »

This is now over.

Generator returned to hire company, even got the deposit back.
All temporary cables and water supply pipes removed.
The owners of the caravans have removed them.
Large tents returned to hire company, deposit lost.
Turdi returned to hire company, deposit lost.
One washing machine scrapped as BER. Others given to NHS staff.
Tumble dryer given away.
Various small domestic appliances given away if in acceptable condition.
Assorted bedding and towels etc given to a local charity.

Various wooden huts kept.
Portahuts huts kept.
Electric showers kept.

The land looked in very poor condition. Deep ploughed and seeded with "pasture mixture"
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BritDownUnder
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by BritDownUnder »

adam2 wrote: 28 Aug 2021, 03:52 The land looked in very poor condition. Deep ploughed and seeded with "pasture mixture"
Put some pigs on it. They'll soon dig it all up beyond recognition.
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Catweazle
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by Catweazle »

BritDownUnder wrote: 28 Aug 2021, 06:03
adam2 wrote: 28 Aug 2021, 03:52 The land looked in very poor condition. Deep ploughed and seeded with "pasture mixture"
Put some pigs on it. They'll soon dig it all up beyond recognition.
Absolutely. Old seeds will be brought to the surface, some can still be viable after decades.
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adam2
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by adam2 »

The land has already been ploughed and seeded and should be fit for grazing by next spring.

A most regrettable amount of rubbish was left behind.
Broken outdoor furniture, broken/damaged camping equipment.
Folding beds that have folded for the last time. Burst air beds. Torn sleeping bags.
Disposable barbecues.
Cans/bottles.
Batteries.
Food waste, animal bones.
Clothing and bedding.

Food waste and bones buried.
Cans and bottles stored to be gradually put into domestic recycling system. Batteries also.

Camping equipment and outdoor furniture is the main problem, has been "picked over" by a local charity who have taken anything reusable or repairable. That still leaves a lot of very mixed materials. Might dismantle into metal for scrap, wood for burning, and plastic.

Damaged sleeping bags and polyester duvets, hot washed and donated to animal charity for pet bedding.
Damaged feather duvet and pillows, buried.

Clothing and linens, picked over by local charity for re-use, remainder boil washed and given to heritage railway as workshop cleaning rags.

A lot of mixed plastic seems non recyclable and will probably be burnt on site, in a well designed incinerator with a forced draught, NOT on a smoking bonfire.
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by Rogerb »

I know they are having a hard time, but that’s not great the way it was left.
House in bits , working on a plan.
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adam2
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by adam2 »

Indeed, in view of the great efforts made by NHS staff during the pandemic, we agreed that it would be in bad taste to complain overmuch about the mess.
Some of the abandoned items appeared to be NHS property. I very much doubt that they wanted the items back after being used/abused in a muddy field, so we recycled or disposed of as earlier described.
Rather reluctantly we burnt on site all the mixed plastic waste.

The land should be OK for grazing by next spring.
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adam2
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by adam2 »

As earlier mentioned, the land was ploughed and seeded with "pasture mixture" back in the Summer. This has grown well and contains mainly different types of grass, but also various flowering plants and un known things. Biodiversity in a packet ! The cows have been allowed in to graze briefly, but wont be allowed regular access until the Spring.
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Re: Ethics and legality of discharging grey water to stream.

Post by Vortex2 »

In a dire situation you could build a raised mound soakaway ... not cheap.
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adam2
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Re: Discharging grey water to stream/Emergency NHS camping

Post by adam2 »

The land is now being used to graze cattle, the "pasture mixture" with which the land was seeded last autumn has grown excellently. "biodiversity in a packet" seems to have worked.
The cattle seem contented and are putting on weight at a good rate. They were housed in the bad weather but are outdoors most of the year.
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Re: Discharging grey water to stream/Emergency NHS camping

Post by adam2 »

The land is fully recovered from the earlier use for camping.
Grass and other vegetation growing well, the cows seem to enjoy it. Above the former waste soak away the grass grows very well indeed. Nothing will grown on the small area where the generator was used, but that is a minute proportion of the total area.
Hedgehogs abound, to the delight of a local conservation group.
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Re: Discharging grey water to stream/Emergency NHS camping

Post by emordnilap »

adam2 wrote: 05 Aug 2022, 19:50Nothing will grown on the small area where the generator was used, but that is a minute proportion of the total area.
Is that because of fuel contamination?

I got an empty oil tank and cut the top off, for use as a rainwater collector; I scrubbed out the tank with detergent on a patch of grass; the patch hasn't fully recovered from the insult after nearly a year. Oil is toxic stuff and mixed with detergent obviously kills the topsoil entirely.
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adam2
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Re: Discharging grey water to stream/Emergency NHS camping

Post by adam2 »

Not known for certain, but spillage of fuel or lubricant does seem likely.
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