On a recent trip with friends we discussed the usage of Water Legacy’s greywater re-use system and how some people just think it is is accepted as the norm.  It is not the norm… as a matter of fact, it is abnormal and truly the ones who choose to re-use greywater for toilet flushing are innovators and leaders.  However, in other countries flushing fresh water is not the good thing to do.  Grey water is used in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK  http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/new_norfolk_homes_are_a_sign_of_the_times_1_1014108.

So we need to get our government to realize the energy savings, the water conservation and the benefit of greywater re-recycling and allow it instead of disallowing based on old thoughts….

More and more forward thinking architects and designers are incorporating water conservation in their new home drawings.  The concept of Water Legacy and the company’s philosophy of saving fresh water through utilizing greywater to flush your toilets appears to be catching on.  View this posting and share with your friends and colleagues .

http://livemodern.com/greenblogs/86ae4ec8ff0f99a6f104fd44623da449

Daily, I am able to view references to greywater re-use through toilet flushing. Yet plumbers, builders or architects have yet to embrace the theory with any consistency.  As we traveled back to the east coast this past month, I realized, it is hard to get someone who has concerns about flooding to think along the conservation lines.  But for all of us who live west of the Mississippi, the concerns are real.  If you want to know more about our greywater re-use system check out this video http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3114041/why_flush_good_water_down_the_toilet/

A recent article written in the Rocky Mountain Collegian by Holly Batchelder defines the steps Colorado State University is taking in going “Green”.  One of those steps is the partnership with Water Legacy and the CSU’s school of Engineering.  Water Legacy’s mission is expanding in the area of multi-family, multi person, and commercial buildings. The greywater re-use system designed by Water Legacy in Allen Hall will be the first of it’s kind in the country.  How great is that?  All of us can remember showering in the dorms and when the toilets flushed the spray of hot water that singed us.  Now that water will be coming back to flush the toilets.

We are so proud to be affiliated with the wonderful staff and students at CSU and hope the momentum continues.

Please read this post from the Rocky mountian Colligian  http://www.collegian.com/index.php/article/2011/01/020111_guestcolumnbatchelder

Today’s L.A. Times claims that 50% of the water used inside of a home can be used to irrigate or flush your toilets.  Really?????  These are things we as water conservationists already know, but how do we get our federal, state and local officials to understand that we demand this type  of conservation????  As I continue the quest for greywater re-use in toilet flushing and irrigation, I find there are so many people open to not flushing drinking water.  Yet, we are confronted with antiquated thought from our protectors, those who would rather flush fresh water so your dog doesn’t drink from the toilet. 

Check out the article and comment so we can see the number of people who care about water conservation

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/11/greywater-report.html

The Pacific Institute, based in Oakland, CA, recently released a comprehensive report that confirms our company’s mission.  Stop using fresh water to flush toilets.

The article quotes: “Greywater reuse is part of an important paradigm shift in how we manage water, toward a more rational approach where we match the quality of water to the need” said Meena Palaniappan, director of the Pacific Institute International Water and Communities Initiative and coauthor of the report. “By reusing greywater in the home for watering landscapes or flushing toilets, we can reduce the use of high quality, expensive, and energy-intensive drinking water for those purposes.”

What they continue to say is probably more important:

The current greywater policies are not consistent from country to country, state to state or city to city. The powers that be need to determine international policies that govern the quality and safety of greyater re-use that is not so constrictive to cause undue and prohibitive rules.

We have had years of experience dealing with local, state and federal agencies. While in theory most will agree to greywater re-use sysems, they more often than not, figure a way to not allow greywater re-use.

Back to the real reason of this blog…. check out this website and comment about the benefit of 40% saving in water conservaton by using your washing machine and shower water to flush your toilets.

http://yubanet.com/california/Report-Explores-Potential-of-Greywater-Reuse-to-Aid-Sustainable-Water-Use.php

We seem to focus on the shortage of something when it affects our lives, otherwise we don’t really care.  There is a also a tendancy to think a shortage will right itself as if by magic.  However, when it comes to water, there is a limited supply of fresh water.  Other countries, such as Australia and Canada, know the potential downfalls of shortages and are regulating their water and storm systems to accomodate innovative ideas.

One area that we can help ourselves prepare for potential shortages is to conserve and reuse.  Most sustainably oriented people already utilize low flush toilets, low flow faucets and at least turn off the water while brushing their teeth.  However, there seems to be an impass of legislative rules regarding the re-use of greywater and especially in toilet flushing.  We have available a method to save consumption in residential households  40% of its water usage and cities are fighting over whether or not to allow it.

If you Don’t Flush Fresh Water you can save 40%, sometimes even more.  check out this link that concerns the top cities in the U.S. Facing water shortages and think about why recycling greywater to flush your toilet makes sense.

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/111186/the-ten-biggest-american-cities-that-are-running-out-of-water

How 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

Mike Holmes - Holmes on Homes, a Canadian publication asserts it is time to start using grey water to flush our toilets!  DUH!   We, at Water legacy have been saying this for years.  The time has come for the regulatory agencies to start mandating the use of greywater to flush toilets. I n this article it states:            “Grey-water recycling is a technology we all need to adopt to help conserve water.”  We have the technology!  It exists and it works.  Our water bill last month for water alone was a  whopping $12.00.

View this article at http://www.holmesmagazine.com/moremike_waterways.php.

The WL55 from Water legacy saves an average household 30%-40% of its residential water consumption!  Now that is saving water

Let me know what you think.

We can add one more to the great web sites that have featured Water Legacy.  This article, written by Court Rye can be accessed by the following link: http://greenhomeauthority.com/residential-graywater-reclamation-systems/

Rob Stevens, our lone house hold in Nebraska, added this comment:

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