Wastewater Management: General Overview

1. Greywater vs. Blackwater First, let’s differentiate: greywater is from sinks, showers, and washing machines—relatively clean and easy to recycle. Blackwater, from toilets, is a different beast, requiring more care and attention.

2. Greywater Recycling Greywater can be a fantastic resource. Set up a simple system to channel this water to your garden. Plants love it! Use biodegradable soaps and detergents to keep harmful chemicals out of your soil. Consider creating a reed bed filtration system—nature’s way of cleaning up your act.

3. Composting Toilets For blackwater, composting toilets are a game-changer. They turn waste into rich, usable compost with minimal water use. Modern designs are odor-free and surprisingly chic. Plus, you get to say you’ve mastered the art of poo alchemy. Who doesn’t want that on their resume? The Humanure Handbook is the bible on composting human waste. You can get the handbook and instruction on building your own composting toilet ​here​. Composting uses little to no water, is very simple, but is very rustic and "hand on". Since there is no plumbing the cost is very low. You can build a composting toilet for $20 (bucket) or upwards of $1,500+ for commercial mechanical composting toilets.

4. Septic System If composting isn’t your thing, a septic system might be the way to go. It’s a bit more work upfront, but it can handle blackwater effectively. Ensure it’s appropriately sized for your household and maintained regularly. A septic system has a tank that stores/holds the solids, while the liquid overflows (or is pumped) to a leach field, where the water is evenly distributed into the soil for microbe treatment. The size of a septic system depends on the soil and volume of wastewater generated. Generally, a gravity system will cost about $8,000, but could be half that cost if you can do the work yourself. Septic systems will generally need to have the solids pumped out about every 5-10 years, at a cost of about $600.

5. Incinerator Toilets Incinerator toilets are an off-grid marvel, for areas in rocky soil or high groundwater. These systems burn waste to sterile ash, eliminating the need for water or a septic tank. They’re compact and efficient, perfect for small spaces. Incinerator toilets are available in electric or propane powered and have a cost range of $2,500 to $5,000+.

6. Home Waste Digesters Home waste digesters are an innovative way to handle organic waste. These systems use anaerobic digestion to break down waste into biogas and nutrient-rich slurry. The biogas can power your stove or heater, and the slurry is an excellent fertilizer. It’s like having a tiny, off-grid power plant and fertilizer factory right in your backyard. You can get a home waste digester for about $1,500, but you'll need to be very comfortable managing your own waste in this very "hand on" setup.

Managing wastewater off the grid might not be glamorous, but with these options are available and used by many off-griders.