Contaminated Soil

T

tomahto

New member

• Feb 14, 2010

• #1

Hey all,

I have some soil (~20 gal) from a grow that got flooded out when my toilet thought it was Old Faithful. It is most likely pretty saturated with whatever is going through the sewers.

I'm wondering if I could use this soil in the small outdoor garden I'm planning this spring. IT's going to be added to compost and some top soil from the garden store.

Also, if usable, I know I won't be able to grow edible plants with this soil for the first year perhaps, just wondering when, if ever, edible plants can be grown with this soil.

Thanks for reading my question.

 

etinarcadiaego

Even in Arcadia I exist

Veteran

• Feb 14, 2010

• #2

Have you considered sterilizing it?

 

I

icmag.is.#1

• Feb 14, 2010

• #3

no?


why would you want to use dirt with sewer water all over it?

 

etinarcadiaego

Even in Arcadia I exist

Veteran

• Feb 14, 2010

• #4

icmag.is.#1 said:

no?


why would you want to use dirt with sewer water all over it?

Click to expand...

lol, kinda what i was thinking.

 

V

V1AAA

Member

• Feb 14, 2010

• #5

is soil that expensive?

i would get rid o it

 

etinarcadiaego

Even in Arcadia I exist

Veteran

• Feb 14, 2010

• #6

tomahto said:

I have some soil (~20 gal) from a grow that got flooded out when my toilet thought it was Old Faithful. It is most likely pretty saturated with whatever is going through the sewers.

Click to expand...

When my toilet overflows, unless there were some poops in there or a septic tank backup or something (lol) it's just water from the reservoir behind the toilet, which is the same water you wash your hands with, same water you drink and shower with, etc, it's not sewer water - lol. Now sometimes toilets can overflow because a septic tank is backed up, or for similar reasons . . . just wanted to make sure that was the case here.

Are you sure it was sewer water or septic backup? If so I'd ditch it, unless it was some really special soil, so gallons isn't that much soil . . .

Otherwise sterilize it . . .

 

T

tomahto

New member

• Feb 14, 2010

• #7

So toss it it is. I know it's a small amount to try and save, but the cheap bastard in me wanted try anyways lol.

About the toilet back up: my city got rained on pretty hard end of last summer and my basement got about a foot of standing water all from my toilet (yes I saw that bastard geysering up). Wasn't terribly worried about poop in the water, I figure after a couple of years in an outdoor setting most of the nasties should be gone. I was mostly concerned about everything else in the water, petrochemicals and such in any storm run off. But thats all moot because I'm tossing the soil. Thanks all who posted.

 

W

Wait...What?

Active member

Veteran

• Feb 14, 2010

• #8

why would you toss good fertilizer? people have been emptying the chamber pot on their gardens for thousands of years.

garden fertilizer is already petrochemicals.

the local waste water treatment plant does a decent business in fertilizer. if you're worried about it, put it on your flowers instead of your edibles.