AU2004100410A4

AU2004100410A4 - Grey water interception & reuse system

Info

Publication number: AU2004100410A4
Application number: AU2004100410A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Nader Yazdani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-05-17
Filing date: 2004-05-31
Publication date: 2004-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 2012-05-31

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patent Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT GREY WATER INTERCEPTION REUSE SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: GREY WATER INTERCEPTION AND REUSE SYSTEM This invention relates to the reuse of Grey water and more specifically the interception of the laundry and bathroom waters and their reuse through a substrata irrigation system, into a garden area.

While fresh water is quickly becoming a scarce and precious commodity, grey and recycled waters are resources that are fast becoming very popular options for reuse in gardens.

Gravity fed diversion units with overflow into the sewers have been the standard Grey water collection method used up to date. For most applications and unless the house is built on an elevated foundation or stand, elaborate underground storages and pumped out facilities, are required; the relatively large pumping units sized to satisfy the high flow requirements of the dispersal systems whether it is leach drain or pressurized type systems. These two factors constitute the major cost component of a traditional efficient Grey Water reuse system.

The new invention was developed to reduce the size and depth of the underground infrastructure as well as the power use requirements associated with the operation of Grey water reuse systems.

This is achieved by the interception of the Grey water not through the traditional storage but via a drainage tee fitting fitted with a top access and a filter chamber directly connected to a small sensor activated pump sized to match the peak Grey water flows generated in the bathrooms and laundries of a house. The Grey water is not stored underground but is directly pumped up to an elevated storage tank. The elevated storage tank then provides for gravity feeding of a pressurized dispersal pipe network. Should additional pressure be required a sensor activated centrifugal secondary booster pump can be added unto the pipe network.

Currently there exists no system, which combines at the same time the following advantages: Reuse of domestic Grey water for irrigation of plants: Using a Grey water interception unit installed within the Grey water main with no obstruction to the path of Grey water flow towards the sewers With primary and secondary filtration Using a sensor activated pumped diversion unit which provides suction thru the primary filter once activated A temporary elevated storage tank with a nutrient removal filter unit, an overflow back into the Grey water main, an air vent to avoid air lock, and a constant bleed to avoid long term storage of the Grey water A gravity fed irrigation system The present invention aims to provide all theses advantages.

In order to obtain these results, the invention combines a Grey water interception unit (19) positioned in the path of the main Grey water flow (18 26), with a top access (21) and a bottom cleanout (28) for eage of maintenance, a primary filter material filling the bottom cleanout chamber (20) and directly connected via an isolating valve (29) to a sensor activated pump unit (23).The entire interception and pumping devices installed within an underground access manhole (24).

The intercepted Grey water is then pumped through a non return valve (31) an secondary inline disk filter (32) via a discharge pipe to an elevated storage tank with a lid a nutrient removal filter unit a siphon to control the storage and discharge, and supported by a wall mounted bracket An overflow back into the main drain is provided to cater for the event when the nutrient removal filter unit is clogged or when the dispersal system is manually switched off using the isolation valve (16).

The Grey water builds up in the tank until the level reaches the top of the siphon device The siphon is then activated and water is sucked thru the siphon into a lilac color discharge pipe (12) that leads to a special low pressure lilac in color sub-strata drip-line irrigation system (13) located 100 mm below bark or woodchip mulch in the garden area The water stops flowing thru when the level of water reaches the level of the siphon entry and air is introduced into the siphon. The siphon will be reactivated only when the level of water submerges the entire siphon tube again. In the event where Grey water stops flowing before the siphon is reactivated, a slow bleed tube with a flow restriction device located at the bottom of the tank and connected to the drain, will within a few hours empty the tank so as to avoid any long term storage of the Grey water. A cleanout outlet (17) connected via an isolating valve (30) is been provided in order to facilitate the regular recommended cleaning of the tank. An air vent (11) is also provided in order to prevent air locks in the system.

A white sign (15) 15 cm high by 40 cm wide with 25 mm high red lettering stating "Warning Grey water irrigation area Do not drink-Avoid contact" is to be incorporated as an integral part of the system in order to satisfy Australian health regulations. The special lilac color drip-line (13) incorporates a special dripper which has a minimum water passage of 3 square millimeters. This type of drip tube is currently used in the mining industry with very poorly filtered recycled water.

In another form of the invention the nutrient removal filter unit is located outside the holding tank as an inline unit on the delivery pipe to the tank (22).

In all form of the invention the primary filtration (20) could be screen instead of a sponge type.

In all form of the invention the secondary filtration (32) could be screen or a sponge type instead of a disk type.

In all form of the invention the slow permanent bleed could be connected to the irrigation main (12) instead of the overflow back to the Grey water main In all form of the invention, a flow sensor activated booster pump unit (27) can be added downstream of the isolation valve (16) in order to increase the operating pressure of the drip system or when the garden is located less than 1 meter below the storage tank. The flow sensor activated booster pump (27) unit could also be activated by an attached electronic timer (34) which would activate the pump on a daily basis to empty the tank. This mechanism would then mean that the permanent bleed and the air vent (11) could be removed.

In all form of the invention, a chemical tablet or liquid dispenser unit (35) can be integrated into the tank for intermittent or constant treatment of the grey water released into the irrigation system.

While all the components of the systems which are in direct contact with the water are made of Poly Propylene and/or other molded plastic, the supporting brackets are made of suitable material, such as metal, to support a 65 kilograms minimum weight.

To assist with understanding the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show the various installations set-up and configuration of the invention: 3 Fig 1. Shows a Grey water interception reuse system where the nutrient removal filter unit is incorporated within the storage tank.

Fig 2. Shows a side view detail of the Grey water interception unit

S

Fig 3. Shows a Grey water interception reuse system where the nutrient removal filter unit is external to the storage tank, where a sensor activated secondary booster pump is used and where the permanent bleed is connected to the irrigation pipe.

LEGEND

1. Grey water discharge pipe into storage tank 2. Nutrient removal filter unit 3. Overflow back to Grey water Mains 4. Filtered inlet/outlet of Nutrient removal unit Temporary storage tank sized to match minimum requirements of the pressurized irrigation 6. Lid for storage tank 7. Siphon Device 8. Discharge from tank 9. Permanent bleed to drain with low flow restrictor Wall mounting bracket 11. Air vent 12. Irrigation main 13. Sub-strata Driplines below 100 mm of bark or woodchip mulch 14. Garden area Warning sign as per Australian Health regulations 16. Isolation valve 17. Cleaning outlet for tank 18. Incoming Grey Water from Bathrooms Laundry 19. Grey Water interception unit Primary Filter 21. Cleanout access to Filter 22. Pump discharge pipe to tank 23. Primary pump unit with sensor start 24. Underground access manhole Pump cable back to power supply 26. Grey Water Pipe leading to sewers 27. Sensor activated secondary booster pump 28. Filter chamber cleanout access 29. Isolating valve to the primary pump unit Isolating valve to tank cleaning outlet 31. Non return valve 32: Secondary Inline Disk Filter 34. Electronic timer to activate pump Chemical tablet or liquid dispenser unit

Claims

1. A Grey water interception and reuse system comprising an interception unit which does not obstruct the flow of the Grey water towards the sewers and which incorporate a primary filter and a top and bottom access cover to facilitate maintenance, a sensor activated pump that can be isolated by a manual valve, a delivery pipe leading to a secondary filter, a nutrient removal filter unit, a storage tank sized to satisfy the minimum operation requirements of a pressurized irrigation system, a siphon unit sized to provide a continuous flow from the time the siphon is activated at immersion to when it is deactivated by air entry, an lilac water distribution pipe, a lilac drip irrigation system which operates at 1 meter pressure, a bleed tube to avoid storage of the grey water, a cleanout outlet and isolation valve to provide for easy cleaning of the tank, an air vent to avoid air lock in the system, and a warning sign that conforms to Australian Health regulations.

2. The Grey water interception and reuse system of claim 1 wherein the nutrient removal filter unit is not located within the tank.

3. The Grey water interception and reuse system of anyone claims 1 to 2 wherein the tank outlet comprises a flow sensor and electronic timer activated booster pump for situations where the garden is located less than 1 meter below the storage tank, and situations where the operating pressure of the drip system needs increasing.

4. The Grey water interception and reuse system of anyone claims 1 to 3 wherein a chemical tablet or liquid dispenser unit has been integrated into the tank for intermittent or constant treatment of the grey water released into the irrigation system.

5. A Grey water reuse and irrigation system can substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.