Gray-hole

It's truly a lovely graywater system - bright green ferns, planter bins easing down the slope. But then I find a pinhole leak in the bottom of the first bin, a persistent little drip running down in the dirt and mulch (photo taken before dirt and mulch coverage).

The tubes are connected via caulk. Caulk while wonderfully waterproof, doesn't adhere when wet or to itself, so more caulk won't really help. PVC cement seems a good option though doesn't like water either. I can't really dry the spot given that it's now part of a working drainage system and the rain keeps coming.

So what then? I say bury it. I might give one more shot at something that adheres even to wet surfaces (let's call it magic caulk), finding a sunny string of days when I'm leaving town and won't be using the drains. More likely, I will pile more dirt and mulch on top. After all, it's already partly filtered (through one tub of soil, mulch and gravel) and going down a hill that already serves as the drainage for the nearby area.

Still, I wish for a perfect system, hanging my head in shame.