The following is how Poly Paradise will be handling Gray Water
issues for Burning Man 2008.

Over the 10-Years PolyParadise has been on the Playa, the population of the camp has increased  from 15-20 to a 100-person Theme Camp.  With this increased population comes an ever increasing amount of Gray Water & Shower Water that needs to be handled in some way.  Over the years we have experimented with various ways to handle our Gray Water. 

Gray water is defined as water from human activities not including  human or other body waste. This includes washing, showers etc.

Black water is defined as water that includes human or other body waste. This includes poop, pee, blood and that "other stuff."

At no time will Poly Paradise process black water. Burning Man has provided Porto-Potties for such disposal.

Our gray water will be from the following four sources:
1- Kitchen dishwater
2- Community Shower
3- Human Carcass Wash
4- Camper generated from individual cooking and showers

We are estimating the following volumes from each source:

Kitchen- 5 to 15 Gallons per Day (GpD)
Shower- 50 GpD
HCW- 10 GpD
Other- 10 GpD
------------
Total 85 GpD

* Conserve Water
* Screen your Gray, Keep your Chunks
* Through the Filter, EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH THE FILTER!

Our methods evolved from Treating & Filtering to Evaporation, with each passing year learning what works & what does not work.  The stumbling blocks we experience is the sheer volume of water generated during the week that must be evaporated.

The Gray Water Czar spends a significant portion of their Burning Man Week dealing with and managing the project.  There are always those situation that happen On-Playa that did not happen when the project was planned in the garage.

For this and many other reasons in 2008 PolyParadise will be contracting an outside company to Deliver & Service a 1000-Gallon Holding Tank for Gray Water Collection.

The total cost will be just under $2000, which is 20% of our budget, approx. $20/camper.  Delivery is scheduled for Friday 8/22 & Pickup on 9/2.  There will be one scheduled service on 8/28.

Having a 1000 Gallon tank within camp for our Gray Water Disposal does not mean we do not care about Water Conservation, in-fact, it will make us more aware of the volume of water we produce as a camp.

The collection points are the Kitchen & Shower. Dishwashing Water will be collected just under the sink and screened for particulate matter before making its way to the Holding Tank via small diameter tubing.  Available to assist in dishwashing will be Biodegradable-Mother Earth Friendly Soap as well as Iodophor Sanitizer.

All cooking oil or other materials not suited for the Holding Tank will be collected in 5-Gallon sealable buckets for Off-Playa transportation & disposal.

Shower Water - There will be one main camp shower available to all campers.  The shower will be strategically located at the back of the Human Carcass Wash, located near the Holding Tank.  The shower will consist of an enclosed shower tent on a raised base off the Playa.  All shower water drainage will be collected and transported to the Holding Tank via small diameter tubing with the assistance of a small motor pump.

The shower water collection area should never be used for Gray Water Disposal.  Do not urinate or empty personal pee containers into our Gray Water system, please use the Porto-Potties.

See Camp Shower 2008

Human Carcass Wash - Gray Water Collection - In running the HCW the participants stand in plastic troughs to catch the water and particulate matter washed from bodies.  This water will be filtered to remove these particulates and the water transported to the Holding Tank.