Grey Water At Last!!!

Well Folks, 

The California legislature has at last agreed to allow grey water systems.  And better:  No Permits necessary if you satisfy certain requirements.

As anyone knows, California is looking at a L O N G future of water shortages that will get worse as our climate warms and the sierra snow pack melts quicker in the season.  One fantastic way to mitigate this unfortunate turn of events and keep our gardens GREEN -and sequestering carbon in our beloved leafy friends- is by utilizing the water we already use.  I for one have several teenagers who "linger" in the shower a tad bit longer than is perhaps necessary for personal hygiene.  The remedy to this?  Send the rinsate to the garden.  A simple plumbing adjustment can accommodate the necessity of redirecting the most valued commodity on our planet from the sewer to the garden.  The current law is in flux, but the standards in this State as they rest today are as follows:

1603A.1.1 Clothes Washer System and/or Single Fixture System.  A clothes washer system and/or a single fixture system in compliance with all of the following is exempt from the construction permit specified in Section 108.4.1 and may be installed or altered without a construction permit:

 

1.     If required, notification has been provided to the Enforcing Agency regarding the proposed location and installation of a graywater irrigation or disposal system.

 

Note:  A city, county, or city and county or other local government may, after a public hearing and enactment of an ordinance or resolution, further restrict or prohibit the use of graywater systems. For additional information, see Health and Safety Code Section 18941.7.

2.     The design shall allow the user to direct the flow to the irrigation or disposal field or the building sewer.  The direction control of the graywater shall be clearly labeled and readily accessible to the user.

3.     The installation, change, alteration or repair of the system does not include a potable water connection or a pump and does not affect other building, plumbing, electrical or mechanical components including structural features, egress, fire-life safety, sanitation, potable water supply piping or accessibility.

4.     The graywater shall be contained on the site where it is generated.

5.     Graywater shall be directed to and contained within an irrigation or disposal field.

6.     Ponding or runoff is prohibited and shall be considered a nuisance.

7.     Graywater may be released above the ground surface provided at least two (2) inches (51 mm) of mulch, rock, or soil, or a solid shield covers the release point. Other methods which provide equivalent separation are also acceptable. 

8.     Graywater systems shall be designed to minimize contact with humans and domestic pets.

9.     Water used to wash diapers or similarly soiled or infectious garments shall not be used and shall be diverted to the building sewer.

10.   Graywater shall not contain hazardous chemicals derived from activities such as cleaning car parts, washing greasy or oily rags, or disposing of waste solutions from home photo labs or similar hobbyist or home occupational activities.

11.   Exemption from construction permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any graywater system to be installed in a manner that violates other provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of the Enforcing Agency.

12.   An operation and maintenance manual shall be provided. Directions shall indicate the manual is to remain with the building throughout the life of the system and indicate that upon change of ownership or occupancy, the new owner or tenant shall be notified the structure contains a graywater system.

Well alright then!  Obviously, a manual will be written up to describe the details of the system.  Amen!  Finally a Grey Water System is not something to hide but something to write about and proclaim with pride.  It's about time.

Details for possible Grey Water systems can be found in Art Ludwig's VERY useful text the "Builder's Greywater Guide".  

A good quote from the author:

"Greywater reuse follows the same principles that make wild rivers clean…even though they drain many square miles of dirt, worms, and feces. Beneficial bacteria break down nasties into water-soluble plant food, and the plants eat it, leaving pure water."

-Well... duh.  We all know this makes perfect sense.  Please take advantage of the newfound intelligence of our legislature and make a wetland garden TODAY!

I love the last reason listed in the book for Grey Water:

• Just because—Greywater is relatively harmless and great fun to experiment with. Moreover, life with alternative waste treatment is less expensive and more interesting...

YES!!!!  Lets have fun with the water we usually put down the drain!

I can't agree more fervently.  A 30 to 55 gallon storage tank makes the most sense to store water that comes out too fast: cool it, slow it.

Then redirect it to the mulch beds, at least 2" deep in mulch ( as it should be anyway!) 

Water, life giving water! - from what would have been put down the drain?  -Now THIS makes sense.

Don't believe me?  Are you still STILL skeptical?

Check out the Greywater Guerrillas.  They will make you BELIEVE.

-DTGG

Comments

[Dwane Zelinsky]

Sorry for my ignorance, but is grey water potable? I know it's usually meant for gardening and stuff, but I wondered if it's also okay for humans to drink.

[Jasmin Shakespeare]

Dwane, it's true that grey water isn't contaminated with biological waste matter, but it's not fit for drinking. It's good to keep grey water at home since it's completely recyclable! Keeping them would require you a good storage place though.