Need information about darkroom plumbing/drains

[Tel]

Valerie, I've recently retired after 30+ years in academe, so I have an idea what you're dealing with. I'd say, be thankful you have a dean who consults with you. I reckon your dean wants you, as the end user of the facility, to be happy with it. When my building was renovated the college construction manager specifically forbade the architect from consulting with the faculty. Thankfully, in a prior career, I had worked with the design consultant they hired and was able to do an end-run around the college admin types and we got something we could use. If you explain to the dean that photography doesn't typically use chemicals that are more toxic or more caustic than your average household drain cleaner, that should put them in the picture.

 

[Mal Paso]

Copper drains are a problem if the waste is not diluted with enough water, even human waste attacks copper. ABS DWV (Drain Waste Vent) would be perfect except it is foam, about 2/3 is air, look at a cut end, that's why it's not allowed in commercial buildings. I had an E6 and a C41 processors made from welded ABS solid sheet and none of those chemicals had any effect on the plastic. Commercial DWV is usually cast iron with no-hub connectors. There are lab specific drains, one was marketed under the name Fuseal