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County's First "Official" Graywater Systems Installed
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County's First "Official" Graywater Systems Installed
By Linda Fridy
Just six months after California gave local governments the opportunity to make it easier to install systems that recycle household water for irrigation, two Santa Cruz County homes offered finished graywater systems for inspection.
Students in a new certification program installed the systems, working with members of the Central Coast Graywater Alliance.
Touring the installations in Aptos and Felton, enthusiasm ran high among not only program leaders and students, but also officials from local governments and water districts that were on hand to learn more and see working systems.
"This is the precursor to a new way of thinking about where water goes," said Sherry Bryan of Ecology Action, who coordinated the program. "We're moving toward considering the highest use for various levels of water."
Among those attending were representatives of Soquel Creek Water District announcing that it is now offering rebates to encourage graywater systems. District customers can get up to three credits of $75 for each source connection.
California allows graywater from laundry machines, bathroom sinks, showers and bathtubs to be diverted from sewer or septic systems and instead be directed into landscape irrigation during dry months.
The water savings mean lower bills for homeowners and reduced water demand for over-stressed water sources. A typical California household produces about 10,000 gallons of graywater from May through October, according to Bryan.
Just diverting water from a high-efficiency washing machine can save a family of four 2,500 gallons during dry months, noted Soquel Creek Water District. Homes with a septic system can also extend its life by putting in less water.
A Sample System
In the Drury home in rural Aptos, the homeowners are using water from the laundry and master shower to water several new fruit trees and planned backyard landscaping. The water comes from the house, running downhill to pipe joints that split the water off to mulch-filled basins around the trees and in landscaping beds.
"The mulch creates a living biological filter," explained Bryan. The primary maintenance of the system is replacing the mulch annually as it breaks down.
Some homeowners have used makeshift and illegal graywater systems that simply pour household water into a yard. That approach can cause environmental contamination and property damage, unlike the now legal and relatively easy systems households can add. The Aptos home was selected as training ground because of good access to the water sources and the sloping yard, plus the fact that the Drurys were just beginning their backyard landscaping and installers did not have to work around existing landscaping, said Michael Drury.
Since that system ties into the house's plumbing, it required a permit.
Santa Cruz County created a streamlined application process for graywater systems diverting less than 250 gallons a day.
Laundry System Is Even Simpler
Even simpler is a system that draws from only the laundry, which does not require a permit, said Bryan. Participants in the certification program can work with homeowners to explain options.
Materials for the Drury's system cost about $300 and the permit was $318.
Students provided the labor as part of a collaborative program that used stimulus funds to train and certify graywater installers.
Once the rainy season begins and the soil becomes saturated, graywater systems should be changed over to send water back into the home's sewer or septic system. Otherwise the soap and other materials can become runoff rather than being treated.
In the Felton project home, the owners opted to pay for an electric toggle that makes the changeover easy and allows them to keep water with bleach or other harsh chemicals out of the landscaping at any time, explained Bryan.
A graywater system is less expensive and does not require the space for a large storage container that a rain catchment system does, noted Michael Drury, who now has both water-saving options on his property.
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