INC NEWS - Watering with Gray Water ILLEGAL?

Sat Nov 3 11:59:42 EDT 2007

I can see that regulation that balances wise use of resources and safe use of resources can get complicated.

For example, one of the things we want to do over time is have less sprawl and more opportunities for people to choose denser, transit-friendly "residential units" (to use planner-speak).  You might want to limit what is used there to "un-gray water" -- water collected while waiting for it to get up to the temperature you want for your shower or maybe used to rinse clean hand-washed dishes -- because of the limited amount of dirt to filter anything in the water.

Our front yard slopes into the street so we only use re-claimed rainwater and "un-gray" water there.

We mostly think of laundry water as just being soapy, but some people would be washing cloth diapers.  How do you guarantee that the next owner of a house set up to send water from washer to the yard understands consequences of this set-up?

Etc.

Regards, pat

> Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2007 19:59:15 -0400
> From: randy at 27beverly.com
> To: mmr121570 at yahoo.com
> CC: inc-list at durhaminc.org
> Subject: Re: INC NEWS - Watering with Gray Water ILLEGAL?
> 
> The Health Department regulates what we do with our waste water. And yes,
> it is illegal to use it (but I won't tell...). They don't call it gray
> water, it is waste... Sure seems like the plan to utilize recycled water
> for other things (that the Governor has been talking about) has some
> serious State-level hurdles to get over. But in concept, the idea works. I
> don't see why we couldn't use the rain water we collect for somethings.
> But that goes right back to what the Health Department and Housing Code
> Enforcement see as a bad thing to let happen. Any recycling of water cuts
> into the revenue stream that our water and sewer facilities count on in
> order to build and repair the infrastructure. We start diverting that
> revenue by recycling, well..., you get the picture. The price of water and
> sewer will have to increase if that happens. maybe to the point of what
> bottled water costs today.
> 
> Take those of us with diesel engines. We can run our vehicles on peanut
> oil bought by the gallon from Costco. But in doing so, we deprive the
> State their more than fifty cents in taxes they collect when we buy it at
> the pump. You can even get arrested for doing something like I mention
> above. Off-road diesel is much cheaper (because it has no road use taxes
> included in the price), but if you get caught running it (they got smart
> and added dye to it so it is a different color now), you're in a heap of
> trouble. A big truck can save $100 or more on a fill-up by running the
> same fuel, but with no use taxes on the price. The diesel is the same, but
> the taxes make it more expensive. Truckers are regularly checked for what
> fuel they have in their tanks.
> 
> So our systems are not really set up for us to save. When we do, something
> along the food chain also hurts. And in the end, it always comes back to
> be paid by the consumers.
> 
> RWP
> 27 Beverly
> 
> 
> > Got the following from my neighborhood listserv.
> >
> > "Did you see the article in the N&O about it being
> > illegal to use grey water from showers, dishwater,
> > etc?  outside in your yard?  It actually is wastewater
> > that can create bacteria, pathogens, etc.  and become
> > a public health hazard.  It was a surprise to me!"
> >
> > If this is true, it's ridiculous. Generations before
> > us have watered their plants/lawns with their gray
> > water (from dishes and showers, NOT toilets).
> >
> > Meanwhile, fertilizers containing nitrates and
> > phosphates are okay, as well as compost piles dug in
> > the ground...and we can swim in Jordan lake or Eno
> > River (isn't this the same contamination as a
> > shower?). Not to mention the runoff from sewage
> > treatment that has been observed flowing into the NE
> > Creek!
> >
> > I would greatly appreciate some clarification on this
> > matter, as I have been watering my outdoor plants with
> > gray water for quite some time now.
> >
> > Sincere,
> > Melissa Rooney
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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