You can support water recycling in an effort to protect water quality and quantity. Send the California Department of Housing and Community Development a letter letting them know that you want the option of reusing graywater in a safe and economical way.
California is entering its third year of drought, with last spring and summer being the driest on record. In February 2009, the Governor declared a state of emergency emphasizing measures to conserve water and protect water quality. Rural residents watch summer river flows reach levels dangerously low for wildlife and human communities. It's estimated that two thirds of North Coast streams & rivers run underground during critical summer months. Urban residents alone consume 8.7 million acre-feet of water in California per year and the Governor has called for a 20% reduction.
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The California Health and Safety Code states that " `graywater' means untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge, has not been affected by infectious, contaminated, or unhealthy bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from contamination by unhealthful processing, manufacturing, or operating wastes. `Graywater' includes wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines, and laundry tubs, but does
not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers."
In 1989 Santa Barbara became the first district in the country to legalize the use of graywater for residential use. By 1992 the state of California had legalized the use of graywater for homeowners. In 1997, the state code was revised to allow multi-family, commercial, and institutional graywater irrigation systems, seemingly enabling water recycling on a large scale.
However, the ensuing codes that regulate graywater use are so cumbersome, costly, and unrealistic that one firm estimates that of a million graywater systems in California, only about three hundredths of one percent are permitted.
In an effort to address these inadequacies, in July 2008 the California legislature passed SB 1258. This bill requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt and submit to the California Building Standards Commission building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of indoor and outdoor graywater systems. The informal process of developing the new standard guidelines is now open to public comment. Please make them by early May.
Several states have already adopted streamlined, sensible regulations that promote water recycling and protect public health, including Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Arizona takes a three-tiered approach to graywater regulation: 1) low-volume, low-risk systems don't have to apply for a permit; 2) the law defines performance goals, not proscribed design specifics; and 3) they have a short, simply worded law and a longer explanatory booklet. This straightforward approach is a good model for California. Encourage the state to adopt similar standards.
Send your comments to:
Jim Rowland
District Representative II
Dept of Housing
and Community Development
1800 Third Street, Room 183
Sacramento, CA 95811
Email: jrowland@hcd.ca.gov
Fax: (916)327-4712
Phone: (916)327-3809
Sample Letter:
Jim Rowland
District Representative II
Department of Housing
and Community Development
1800 Third Street, Room 183
Sacramento, CA 95811
Dear Mr. Rowland,
I am concerned that the current standards for the installation of graywater systems in the state of California are overly strict, making it hard for people to obtain graywater permits.
I urge you to support a graywater code that encourages water reuse by all water users and provides incentives for water recycling.
Throughout the state we are feeling the negative effects of drought and increased population on the quality and quantity of our water. The consequences of climate change will bring even more uncertainty about our water, with considerable adverse effects for humans, wildlife, and forests.
I believe it is imperative that all water users conserve our finite water supply. Water reuse can be an important tool for dramatically improving water conservation.
I want the option of reusing my graywater in a legal and economically viable manner. The codes concerning graywater systems in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas are good models to follow because they make it easy for homeowners to reuse their graywater and have been demonstrated to be safe and effective. Please support a similar common-sense standard for California.
Thank you,
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TOC for Forest & River News, Spring 2009