Tap into Water Savings
(Page 5 of 8)
August/September 2004
By Claire Anderson
A 1992 study on subsurface graywater irrigation systems conducted by the city of Los Angeles showed “no significant increase in the number of dangerous bacteria in the soil,” and concluded that the background numbers of these bacteria in the natural environment far exceed the bacteria dispersed by graywater.
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“Much has been made over the potential health risk of graywater use,” says graywater expert Ludwig, “without comparing the actual risk from the common practice of sewage disposal in waters used for swimming, drinking and fishing.” He says about one in five U.S. communities uses only primary sewage treatment — only removing solids — before discharging downstream. In contrast, responsibly managed graywater systems can effectively turn a former waste product and potential pollutant into a landscape resource. Letting graywater slowly percolate through the topsoil gives microorganisms time to devour dissolved solids, salts and potential pathogens, and helps to ensure purification.
Rules & Regulations
Regulations governing residential graywater systems vary from state to state and from region to region. To determine what systems, if any, are permissible in your area, consult with your county health department, and your local building or plumbing authorities. Locations lacking specific graywater guidelines may permit new systems under an “experimental systems” clause.
Arizona, New Mexico and California have rules governing residential graywater systems, and Bilson says his company has met little resistance installing systems in two other states, Nevada and Utah. “Most states have some sort of graywater code on the books,” he says. “In the case of Nevada, it’s just one short paragraph, so officials don’t have much to go on, except to permit a system as experimental. California has the most comprehensive rules, with a 14-page code.”
Bilson recommends that clients outside of California show how their system meets California’s strict compliance code to satisfy their local officials. “[The permit agents] usually are very impressed that you’ve done your homework and are very likely to permit a system that meets the restrictive guidelines of the California code.”
Ludwig says Arizona has a reasonable and user-friendly regulatory stance. One of the few states to actively encourage residential graywater reuse, Arizona offers guidance to homeowners interested in using graywater. The state’s Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) pamphlet Using Gray Water at Home presents 13 Best Management Practices, which outlines proper uses and distribution of graywater. (See “Graywater Resources,” Page 106.)
Should You Go Gray?
In this graywater system, wastewater from the drains shown in brown flows through a filtration and pumping system in the basement to landscape plants outside. Graywater systems can be designed to recycle most household wastewater, with the exception of blackwater from toilets, which must flow to a sewer system or septic field.
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