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From: Eric G
Date: 4/23/2007
Time: 8:46:59 PM
Remote Name: 129.89.133.206
Hmmm.... That's $3 a gallon to get rid of water.... Also, if there are 150 people in the Village we each could only put in little more than a gallon. We'd need a lot more IMHO. Seems to me we should be able to do it cheaper somehow-- make a more efficient evaporation pan. Suppose you made a wooden frame, say four by four feet, tightly covered with an absorbent black cloth, sort of like a picture frame with canvas. You set it up facing the Sun (South) at a 45 degree angle and you rig it up so your sink water drains SLOWLY --- dripdripdripdripdrip-- over this cloth on its way to the evap pan. Firstly, you have air touching two surfaces--top and botton--not just one, so right away the evaporation is twice as fast. Secondly, it's black cloth pointed right at the sun, not resting on the (comparatively) cool ground, so it goes to a much higher temperature and that will probably double or triple evaporation. If you set the drip rate right, maybe no water would even get to the evap pan!, at least in the day. Thirdly, on the last day what do you have left-- a light wooden frame, some cotton cloth with dried food waste on it. BURN IT :) Or at least peel off the cloth and burn that, only a few ounces, save the frame for next year. You could probably get away with a TINY evaporation pan at the bottom end. Plus, any water in there, will tend to "wick up" the black fabric, and dry out all the faster. Hey, I think we just came up with a new Playa idea! Might be worth a try. --eric g