The sweltering heat and long term drought in California has spurred home owners to look for alternative ways to keep their home gardens green. And now, gray water recycling is fast becoming a rising trend to help irrigate home landscapes.
According to the Wall Street Journal, more Californians are installing systems that will recycle domestic water coming from showers, sinks and bathtubs for irrigation. However, sewage or black water coming from toilets are not included in the gray water system. Several companies that install this system reportedly experienced a rise in demand for the past year. One company even reported an estimated 200 percent increase in sales.
In the report, the Wall Street Journal also mentioned the homeowners' decision to install a gray water recycling system was hastened when California officials placed water restrictions last May. The State Water Resources Control Board issued mandatory cuts for water usage in urban areas. The aim of the program is to reduce water consumption by 25 percent from 2013 levels. In residential areas, the mandate limited lawn watering, car washing and use of water in decorative fountains. Despite water cuts, the conditions in some areas has been dire that neighbors sometimes act like "water cops," states John Russell, president of Oakland-based WaterSprout recycling systems. Water cops are concerned homeowners who would point out other people for excessive water use.
Russell added that his company started providing customers with lawn signs showing they use recycled gray water. This is to avoid falling victim to "water cops" and being reported to local officials. The WaterSprout executive also shared that the company now installs around four to six water recycling systems a month. The cost to install a gray water system can range from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands or more. Some of WaterSprout's more advanced systems costs as much as $18,000. Russell shared that despite the high cost, homeowners are still willing to invest in the system. He said, "Our customers are into it because they believe in the idea of conserving our natural resources."
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Daily News reports that California's building codes are also catching up with the rising trend of gray water recycling. The state's plumbing code now allows home owners to create a simple system for the safest gray water without a permit. Greywater Action, a group promoting household water recycling, as well as educating individuals or contractors about the do's and don'ts, estimated that more than a million California residents had illegal gray water systems, prior the release of the revised plumbing code.
The Los Angeles Daily News report also indicated that while California homeowners can now use untreated water straight from bathtubs or washing machines, local officials still placed strict requirements on its use. Homeowners may use untreated water only if the water lines run beneath the soil or mulch. This is to ensure that it won't come in contact with people. Gray water can also be used to water vegetable gardens, as long as it does not come in contact with the part of the plant to be eaten or root vegetables. This rules out gray water use for vegetables like carrots and potatoes, but above ground produce like tomatoes are fine.
More US states have joined the gray water recycling trend, states the L.A. Daily News, with Arizona having some of the friendliest laws. California, however, still has more to improve on.
