Daily StreamHow exciting! The Texas city of San Marcos, located near Austin has approved a greywater (graywater) ordinance that will allow greywater for toilet flushing. The city council, following in the footsteps of Austin, TX, will allow shower water, washing machine water and sink water for uses such as irrigation and TOILET FLUSHING.
Water Legacy is very pleased at the comments made by the council members, that is that their constituents have expressed a need for this. The people do matter!! Our conservation and efficiency demands on our government will create the grass roots efforts for continued saving of fresh water!
According to the Austin Statesman - the local newspaper - the council has added some considerations to the ordinance, but all in all it is a very good message for the water conservationists.
“In addition, the proposed ordinance stipulates that gray water must be applied in a way that prevents pooling and runoff onto other properties. Clack said the ordinance primarily targets new home construction.
“We’re encouraging builders to install new gray water plumbing,” Clack said. But there are no incentives currently planned for builders or residents, he said.
For commercial and industrial applications, gray water can only be used for landscape maintenance, dust control and toilet flushing.
Council member John Thomaides said that the ordinance is one that residents have pushed for in the past.
“Citizens have communicated to me through the years that they want to capture laundry water, mostly for gardening,” Thomaides said. “If homeowners want to use it to save aquifer water, it’s a good thing. (The ordinance) gives us the ability to tell people how to use it.”
To read the whole article, click on this link:
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/san-marcos-to-consider-gray-water-ordinance-811895.html?cxtype=rss_local
