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Greywater is untreated waste water which has not come into contact with toilet waste. Graywater includes waste water from bathtubs, showers, bathroom wash basins, washing machines, and laundry tubs. It does not include waste water from kitchen sinks, photo lab sinks, dishwashers, or laundry water from soiled diapers.
Installing a Permitted System You might want a permit because it increases the resale value of the home and helps increase public acceptance for the use of greywater.
In Berkeley, in order to install a permitted greywater system you should first plan your greywater system with consultation from a professional who is familiar with State of California Greywater Standards. At this point the soil should be tested, the amount of land and water available should be estimated and plans drawn that follow the Greywater Standards guidelines. It may be helpful to consult the Graywater Guide put out by the California Department of Water Resources.
You can find a list of professionals in the Bay Area who design and install greywater systems on the Ecology Center EcoDirectory. The Ecology Center's EcoHouse greywater system was installed by Dig Cooperative.
The designer you choose or yourself should contact the City of Berkeley Planning & Development Office Permit Service Center at (510) 981-7400 to make an appointment to get zoning approval and then submit a plumbing permit. After the permit is issued and the construction has been performed, you should schedule an inspection to make sure the actual system follows the plan. This process may be difficult and take time. Thankfully however, the permitting process tends to get more streamlined with each permit issued so by sticking with it you are helping the accessibility of greywater improve for others. You can find the plumbing permit application online, (see Further Resources below).
Outside of Berkeley: Most cities do not have a permitting process in place for greywater. If you are interested in a permitted system you should contact one of the professional designers from the EcoDirectory who can research the code in your area.
You might want to do-it-yourself because you are "handy" and don't want to wait or pay for a permit or you may not own your home. Be aware that according to the State of California "It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, install or alter, or cause to be constructed, installed or altered any graywater system in a building or on premises without first obtaining a permit." There are many ways to install and use greywater from easy to complex.
There are a few "after market accessories" that you can purchase which reuse hand washing water to flush your toilet including Sink Positive, Gaiam's toilet top sink, and the AQUS System. You can also bucket out your bathwater or take a bucket into the shower and use it to flush the toilet or water plants.
One local expert recommends installing a simple system using greywater from your washing machine because it is not necessary to change the already existing plumbing. To do this put the drain pipe from your washer into a larger pipe (or funnel to a garden hose) out a window or door either straight to the garden or into a holding tank such as a plastic barrell so that the water can cool, and then into the garden. Don't let the water sit for too long. One good way to water plants using this method is by putting the hose into the hole of an upside down terra cotta pot that is buried near the plants you want to water. You can bury several pots and move the hose from place to place or move the pot instead.
Others like the Greywater Guerrillas, suggest disconnecting your bathroom sink drain pipe from the sewer pipe with a wrench (leaving the P-trap in place) and putting a bucket under it instead. You can then use the greywater in the bucket to flush the toilet or water plants.
More complex systems like branched-drain, constructed wetlands and greywater irrigation systems require planning and some technical ability, but you can learn what you need to know through books or workshops. Hands-on workshops and classes on installing greywater systems can be taken through the EcoHouse, SF Institute of Architecture, and Berkeley Institute for Ecological Design. Check the Ecology Center EcoCalendar or call at 548-2220 x233 for info on these workshops.
You can also find step-by-step and technical instructions on building a greywater system in Create an Oasis with Greywater by Art Ludwig and the Guerrilla Graywater Girls' Guide to Water and Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground by Cleo Woelfle-Erskine, July Oskar Cole, and Laura Allen. You can also find instructions and tips on how to build greywater systems on their websites: www.oasisdesign.net and www.greywaterguerrillas.com.
Fact sheet written by Christine Martin.