Gray Water

[porsche4life]

Still. Figure a few load a week, and that's enough to keep quite a few plants alive.

[jyl]

For sure. I was just impressed at the water efficiency of modern washers.

[Evans, Marv]

When I checked, I first tried looking at specs & info for individual machines. None I looked at specifically said what water consumption was - that I could find. I ended up looking at a general statement about modern HE washers. When I built my home, I had a 1 1/2 in. discharge pipe put in the wall next to the normal discharge for the washer. All I have to do is cut out the dry wall, put in something decent looking to accept the washer discharge, and fabricate a distribution network where it discharges outside the house. I had to have the gray water pipe concealed in the wall because the inspector(s) wouldn't have approved it at the time of construction. The "government" wants water conservation, but puts all kinds of restrictions in place to prevent it.

[jyl]

I'd think Calif should revise its building codes to permit gray water irrigation.

[gacook]

Originally Posted by jyl

Man! My water bill (which does include sewer) is about $300 every two months. We are four people and don't water the lawn.

That's sick. We are a family of 4 always, and 7 about half the time (when my kids are there). The kids all shower every day, my wife showers every day and usually follows it up with a bath, I shower twice a day, we run the dishwasher every day and have LOTS of laundry. My water bill averages $25-30 a month. Again, this is in Arizona...

[jyl]

Originally Posted by gacook

That's sick. We are a family of 4 always, and 7 about half the time (when my kids are there). The kids all shower every day, my wife showers every day and usually follows it up with a bath, I shower twice a day, we run the dishwasher every day and have LOTS of laundry. My water bill averages $25-30 a month. Again, this is in Arizona...

It is funny, that in wet Oregon I have more financial incentive to conserve water than you do in dry Arizona.

[strupgolf]

Please take some our water we got this year in Indiana. We are soaked. Please. Can I ship you some out there in the west?

[look 171]

Originally Posted by jyl

I'd think Calif should revise its building codes to permit gray water irrigation.

Totally legal in the city of LA as long as your gray water is let go into your yard and not on the street. Not one drop should go onto the public street or neighbor's property

[daepp]

A decade ago our city, at quite a bit of expense, has run a gray water/reclaimed/purple pressurized water main all the way from where the sewer water gets cleaned to the highest spot in the city.

The city uses it to water a large median that run the entire length of the city. In fact, I think they were required to do some of this.

I will be asking what the prospects are for branch lines to to feed into the local neighborhoods.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by strupgolf

Please take some our water we got this year in Indiana. We are soaked. Please. Can I ship you some out there in the west?

Someone has floated the idea of a pipeline from the Midwest to California. In addition to seasonal snow melt the would get seasonal flood water from the upper Mississippi.

We may not have seen the sun since November, but cost of water is the price of the electricity to pump it out of the ground. Anybody figured a way to buy sunlight?

[jyl]

The plants nearest my kitchen door are actually showing signs of overwatering, and this is after weeks of record heat and dry. I'm having to walk further to dump the water in other parts of the yard. I guess that counts as an initial success.