RMBOA Grey Water Capacity Calculator

This calculator is provided by the River Murray Boat Owners Association (RMBOA) as a service to all river users.

This calculator allow you to enter information about your grey water production and calculate the minimum required storage or volume to be processed.

The values below are a guide only and should not be used to design a grey water system for your vessel.

Please note that low risk houseboats may only need to divert their kitchen sink into the black water holding tank and place strainers and filters on all other waste water outlets. A low risk vessel is likely be a vessel that is not permanently occupied, does not have a spa, washing machine or dish washer and only has one shower.

Please consult with the EPA for a more definitive classification. In conjunction with the modifications mentioned above, low risk vessels must be able to demonstrate that they have a greywater management regime. Members of the RMBOA have access to the RMBOA Greywater Standard Operating Procedures that have been reviewed by the EPA.

If your vessel is only required to contain the galley waste into the black water holding tank and filter the shower and hand basin, the black water calculator may be more appropriate for you.

River Murray Boat Owners Association Trip Calculator
Maximum Number of People: Maximum Trip Duration: Days

Enter the maximum number of people you expect to be staying on-board. This calculation assumes that the grey water tank will be empty at start and emptied at the end of the voyage. Set the Maximum Trip Duration to 1 to calculate how much grey water would need to be processed daily

Use of Hand basin per day : Hand basin volume used per Use: Litres

This deals with the number of times a person would use a hand basin each day to wash their hands/face and clear their teeth. Estimate the volume of water that each person would use for each wash in litres.

Use of Kitchen Sink per day : Kitchen sink volume used per Use: Litres

This deals with the number of times dishes would be used to wash dishes or in the preparation of food. Because the size of sinks vary and the amount of washing up and food preparation varies, you will need to estimate the water used in your environment.

Litres per Minute for Shower : Duration of Shower: Minutes

This deals with how much water comes out of the shower head and the average length of a shower. The water flow from showers depends on the water pressure and the type of nozzle. You can estimate the flow by timing how long it takes to fill a container of a known volume. If your vessel does not have a shower, set the Duration of Shower to 0 minutes.

Litres per Wash Cycle : Washing Machine Use per Week:

This deals with how much water comes out of the washing machine. Please consult your washing machine handbook to find out the water used per cycle. If your vessel does not have a washing machine, set the Washing Machine Use per Week to 0.
Litres per Wash Cycle : Dishwasher Use per Week:

This deals with how much water comes out of the dishwasher. Please consult your dishwasher handbook to find out the water used per cycle. If your vessel does not have a dishwasher, set the Dishwasher Use per Week to 0
Average Volume of Grey Water per Day: litres
Grey Water Volume per Voyage:          litres

 

After you have entered the parameters above, Press Calculate Volume to find the average volume of grey water produced each day and the total volume for the specified length of the voyage.

Calculate Grey Water Tank Dimensions

Diameter of the Cylinder:   cm
or Height of Tank

 
   
Length of cylinder:                 cm Side of square tank: cm

This uses the Grey Water Volume per Voyage to estimate the dimensions of a holding tank. Enter the Diameter of the Cylinder and press Calculate Size to estimate the length of a cylinder. The internal dimensions of a square tank with the specified height will also be calculated.

Script Last Updated: 12 June 2010 Version: 1.1 Author: Mark Little