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Sanitation · Install and commission · sanitation-19

Commission, label and record the system

Before moving in, test the system, label it and write an operating manual so anyone living there can run it safely.

How

  1. Run water through every fixture and check flow reaches the tank, valves and outlets with no leaks or ponding.
  2. Test pumps, alarms and fans, and confirm they run from your off-grid power system.
  3. Label diverter valves and all non-potable greywater pipes.
  4. Draw a map of tank, ports, distribution box, drainfield, greywater lines and wells (Virginia Tech recommends this).
  5. Write an operating and maintenance manual and keep it in the house. California requires this for laundry systems, and in England a seller must give the buyer written details of the system and its maintenance.
  6. File permits, inspection records and product manuals together.

Sources

  1. What to Expect When Getting Your Septic Tank Pumped (SPES-574). Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, accessed 2026-11
  2. Laundry to Landscape Graywater System Design Guidelines. County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health, accessed 2026-11
  3. General binding rules for small sewage discharges (SSDs) with effect from 2 October 2023. UK Government (Environment Agency, England), accessed 2026-11

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