RE: [Leica] Darkrooms and Septic Systems

["Lee, Ken" <ken.lee@hbc.com>]

Leon,

Sounds like you have got it right.   I lived in a house with a septic tank
and darkroom for 18 years and never had a problem.  I dumped the fixer too.
I followed the Kodak document already mentioned. I dumped the chemicals
before the final wash so the extra water would dilute the chemicals even
more.  I also added the commercial septic system rejuvenator stuff from time
to time.

I am talking primarily about black and white film and paper chemicals.  I
also dumped 3 step E6 chemicals the same way when volume was low.  If I was
doing a lot of E6 (40 - 60 rolls in a weekend) I saved it up and took the
waste to a commercial lab and they disposed of it for me.

Ken

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	LP6@aol.com [SMTP:LP6@aol.com]
> Sent:	Thursday, October 22, 1998 9:17 PM
> To:	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Cc:	shruboak@juno.com
> Subject:	[Leica] Darkrooms and Septic Systems
> 
> 
> Re:  Darkroom Silver and Acid Effluent into Septic Systems: (?)
> 
> Joe Stephenson and Bill Franson have kindly informed me over the LUG that
> it
> is the used acid fixer that contains the silver and that this can be
> retrieved
> with a Rotex Silver Recovery Kit.  So much for the metal!
> 
> They also inform me that the enemy of the bacterial flora in the septic
> system
> is acid primarily and that this can be neutralized by allowing the mixture
> of
> developer and stop bath to stand before discarding into the system.  
> 
> Since sodium bicarbonate (backing soda) is often added to septic systems
> as a
> routine maintenance measure, I suppose extra bicarbonate might assure
> further
> acid dilution originating from my darkroom operations?  So much for the
> acid!
> 
> Have I got my facts straight?  What have we left out?
> 
> In conclusion, I'm surprised that LUGites haven't encountered this problem
> in
> greater numbers than the response to my septic quiery on the LUG suggests?
> Maybe its the more strict Massachusetts (near Nashua, NH) building codes
> vs.
> the more relaxed codes elsewhere?  Any other thoughts?
> 
> Leon
> LP6@aol.com