Going gray to green

In order to keep the gray water system relatively simple, we opted for a series of tubs to take the water and filter it through soil, mulch and gravel.

Here's how it works:
Two drain pipes leave the cabin - one for sinks and the other from the shower.
Those metal pipes connect to plastic tubing via a handful of connectors in order to size down from 2-inch pipe to plastic 1-inch tube.
Those 2 tubes run into the first 18 gallon plastic tub through drilled, torched and caulked connections, the water spilling into soil (submerged), then draining down through mulch and gravel.
At the bottom of the first tub, the water runs out through another short length of tube and into the top of the next tub, going through the same series of soil, mulch and gravel.
This continues through two more tubs, with the fourth and final tub having small holes pierced in it to let any excess liquid out into the hill.
Any water that leaves this last tub can be considered safely filtered and still has plenty of distance before it would reach the creek.
Finally, ferns and other shade and water loving plants are planted in the soil of each bin in order to use up the water stored in the soil and mulch.

Building the system took several days of backbreaking labor, the worst being the excavation of the soil for the lowest tubs to ensure enough change in altitude from house drain to final liquid outlet. Challenger for hardest part of the process was digging up plants in very wet, clay-like soil nearby, along with additional soil to both fill the tubs and fill in around them to secure them on the rather steep hillside.

I've never had as many bug bites, mostly from tiny virtually invisible buggers that left my arms freckled in ridiculously itchy bites.

I'm still working on protecting/hiding all the piping with soil and mulch.