# Septic sytems and brush cleaning???



## tripster (Jun 30, 2007)

Hello all,

I just moved to a rural area and have started doing local jobs including painting. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with paint clean up and septic systems. How do you dispose of the dirty paint thinner, and mineral spirits. Most people just wash it down the drain. Is latex paint ok for septic systems. 

Thanks for any input.

Mike..


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

tripster said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I just moved to a rural area and have started doing local jobs including painting. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with paint clean up and septic systems. How do you dispose of the dirty paint thinner, and mineral spirits. Most people just wash it down the drain. Is latex paint ok for septic systems.
> 
> ...


OK, first of all, NEVER, EVER, put paint thinner or any other solvent down the drain. :thumbdown Also don't dump it out in the grass or driveway. In short, don't dump it anywhere. As for latex paint, it should be fine to wash out and put down the septic system. :thumbsup:


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## Flikka (Feb 22, 2006)

Most of my work is rural and I live with a septic system as well. We've been here for 10 years with lots of painting done, so far so good.

As far as mineral spirits are concerned, like jack said, never ever put it down the drain, on the road, in the grass..... it only belongs back into a container to be disposed of correctly. Here in bumpkin crick we have one day a month where we can take toxic stuff to a transfer station. I started with a bought container and now use the empty spirits container to fill it with used goods. You'll also find that you can re-use it as all the paint will separate from the spirits and sink to the bottom of the container. I question it's strength but it does eventually do the job.

Cheers
Mary


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## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

First, let me support 1000% what's been said about disposing of solvents correctly. 1 gallon of solvents pollutes 1 million gallons of water (so I've been told). But enough of beating that poor dead horse









Second, we live with a septic system, an in order to work properly there needs to be microbes that degrade the "stuff" in it. I would not put anything down the drain that may kill those microbes, and latex paint has all sorts of biocides in it. Heck, I've been advised not to put bleach down the drain. (we do not use Clorox in our laundry).


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

daArch said:


> Second, we live with a septic system, an in order to work properly there needs to be microbes that degrade the "stuff" in it. I would not put anything down the drain that may kill those microbes, and latex paint has all sorts of biocides in it. Heck, I've been advised not to put bleach down the drain. (we do not use Clorox in our laundry).


So tell us then Bill, where do you wash out your brushes and equipment?


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## ModernStyle (May 7, 2007)

And how do you get your whites so white?


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## MarvinWilleyJr (Sep 26, 2006)

You wouldn't believe the crap they make us go thru on this Navy base job we are on. One of the sites has no where at all for us to clean up. Now that we are winding down we can clean up in the bathroom sinks. But before or as for roller naps.....it was usually take home or take back to the shop. Otherwise it was pour all waste waterin 55 gallon drums and sign it in as we poured up......it was a joke, even for latex.......no oil on the job!

Got busted once and told we could be fined for using a sewer drain.


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

Paint thinner will also kill trees if you dump it on the ground anywhere around the roots...

at least that's what I heard happened to some dumba55 painter a long time ago. He dumped some thinner behind a shed, and it killed 2 trees in the yard next to it it.

Luckily the homeowner didn't catch me.


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## Wolverine-Eric (Apr 9, 2007)

> First, let me support 1000% what's been said about disposing of solvents correctly. 1 gallon of solvents pollutes 1 million gallons of water (so I've been told). But enough of beating that poor dead horse


Let me assure you all... if you dump 1 gallon of solvent into 1 million gallons of water... it is going to float to the top and evaporate... that's it!

No horses will die! lol... :thumbup:


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## Da Vinci (Jun 24, 2007)

Thinner will definitely kill ivy, trees, etc. We had to dig down about 2 feet and replace an area with new dirt and ivy/plants because one of my painters didn't see any reason to save the dirty thinner ( and coincidentally, I saw no reason why I should save this idiot a job).

Also, a couple years ago, we were doing a large estate home in Orinda, 
and my guys were washing out latex brushes and rollers in a bare, dirt area near the home (to be landscaped after remodel completed). No problem there.

Unfortunately, what no one knew was there was a drain nearby that carried the water out and down under the tennis courts about 150 feet away and dumped it right into a creek with flowing water. A neighbor who lives nearby the creek saw the milky water and called the cops and the EPA who quickly came out and took test tube vials for testing.

$600 in fines later, they determined the water was going to be fine but don't ever do that again...love those government agencies.

Bay Area Painting COmpany


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## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

Wolverine-Eric said:


> Let me assure you all... if you dump 1 gallon of solvent into 1 million gallons of water... it is going to float to the top and evaporate... that's it!
> 
> No horses will die! lol... :thumbup:


Eric, although I can understand how some things like acetone and alcohol will float to the top and evaporate from open water, are you saying that kerosene, turps, etc will evaporate so as not to be harmful? And then there is the issue of ground water.

What I was told may not be 100% accurate for all solvents in all situations, but I'd hate to give people the idea that pouring paint thinner down the drain, in a hole out back, or into a stream is OK.


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

daArch said:


> Eric, although I can understand how some things like acetone and alcohol will float to the top and evaporate from open water


Hey Bill, how many times have you been sitting there, drinking your scotch and water and noticed the scotch floating on top? :whistling Never I'll bet, unless you've had too many :laughing: The alcohol and water mix together unlike petroleum based solvents. Just bustin' your chops :jester:


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## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

Stacy,

You'd better start comin to the conventions, and you'd know that amber liquid I flavor my water with is not Glenfiddich but Jim Beam (My self and a buddy, Fergus MacIssac, tried to give blood during a college blood drive, we was told we had too much Scotch in our veins







)


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## jackrabbit5 (Apr 30, 2006)

daArch said:


> Stacy,
> 
> You'd better start comin to the conventions, and you'd know that amber liquid I flavor my water with is not Glenfiddich but Jim Beam (My self and a buddy, Fergus MacIssac, tried to give blood during a college blood drive, we was told we had too much Scotch in our veins
> 
> ...


Sorry, my bad


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