Water Legacy, the only U.S., IAPMO approved greywater reuse system will help you earn LEED points in your residential construction.  LEED’s Water efficiency credit will gain one point for a 20% reduction in water usage and a one more point for a 30% reduction, for a total of two points. The New construction rating system v2.2 specifically states.  ” Potential Technologies and Strategies- Use high-efficiency fixtures, dry fixtures such as composting and waterless urinals, and occupant sensors to reduce potable water demand.  Consider reuse of storm water and greywater for non potable applications such as toilet flushing and urinal flushing”

The book ” Toward a Zero Energy Home” by David Johnson and Scott Gibson, (ISBN 978-1-60085-143-8), prominently features the WL55.  A discussion of greywater is featured in a case study on page 55, specifically points the reader to Water Legacy by stating: “A newer product on the market, Water Legacy, disinfects water with a combination of UV and Hydrogen Peroxide.”  

In Chaper 3, Renewable Energy, the authors not only mention the WL55 and Water Legacy’s greywater reuse system, but displays two color photographs of the WL55 installed in a Zero Carbon Initiative home in Boulder, Colorado.  (page 151)

To order this book, which is a ‘Complete Guide to Energy Self Sufficiency at Home’, contact your local bookseller and request the ISBN number above or contact Taunton Press at www.taunton.com to order direct. 

Usually, when a bill comes in the mail, I am not anxious to open it, however; these days when my Denver water bill arrives I open it first.  checking to see our family’s consumption and monthly charges is always a game for me.  I like to note if we saved this month, how much we consumed over last year and our cost.   This week when the bill came there, in big, bold print was the headline: 2010 Water Rate Changes (not increases as it truly is)  The bill directs one to their website.    They state on the web site:

Your 2010 Denver Water Rates

Effective February 2010, Denver Water’s rates will increase. On average, Denver residential customers will pay $40 more per year — an average of about $3.30 per month, or about $12 on a summer bill. Typical suburban residential customers served by Denver Water will see an increase of $51 per year — an average of $4.30 per month, or about $16 on a summer bill. The amount of your bill will vary depending on how much water you use. The more you use, the more you pay. (my italics and bolding).

But don’t worry,  your bill if your are residential consumer will only go up $51.00 per year (avg).  But please note, this is JUST the service charge!

Actual rates are dependent upon consumption. The more you use the more you pay.  If given the opportunity to reduce consumption by 30% to 40% you know you will pay less and consume less.  HMMMMM, what’s all this fuss about greywater reuse??? 

There are two components to Denver Water’s rates:  Service Charges ( which we know have gone up this month from $4.41 per month to $5.58 per month, an increase of 21%.) and Consumption Charge per gallon. The rate being charge per 1000 gallons before the rate hike was $1.91 per 1000 gallons. current rate charges for 1000 gallons is $2.11per 100 gallon.  (only a 10% increase).  However, this is the lowest rate of all consumption for Denver Water.  If you like to take long showers, water your garden in the middle of the day, let you hose run or even keep the water running when you brush your teeth you may be subjected to a over 40 gallon (with a 1000 gallon multiplier) you will be charges $8.44 per 1000 gallons, compared to $7.64 before the rate hike. (10% increase).

We pay hardly anything for our water.  I am pleased to fork over my $23.00 per month for water and sewage services.  It’s the best deal in town.  We have to have water, truly is my cell bill 10 times more valuable than water.  No, I don’t see how it can be.  

My message is truly water is undercharged, and supplemented by local, regional and national agencies.  We can be smart by practicing conservaton now, reducing consumption is easy, but recycling and reusing truly consumes less. But we also need the help of people in Denver Water and all water regulatory agenices to promote the use of grey water and not hinder it with regulations and personality conflicts and old school thoughts.

How exciting!!!!  Today I was alerted to a blog, written by Kevin Geminiuc of the Colorado Green Tech Blog with a feature Article about Conservation through water ReUse.  The article succinctly describes the WL55 and describes the mission and product extremely well.  I personally could not have written it better.  So, I’d like to share it with you through this link and our Facebook page.  http://www.coloradogreentech.net/meetupblog/?p=328

We are so excited that in the upcoming issue of Green Mechanical Contractor Magazine Water Legacy will be featured.  The article which discusses the ” New Frontier of Residential Water Conservation: Graywater Reclamation Systems” specifically mentions the Water Legacy Product and shows a photo of the sytem installed.  This article clearly and succintly describes the knowledge of greywater, various greywater systems, types of disinfection and treatment, storage options, pumps and controls and distribution piping.

When the article is published I will provide a link directly to the magazine.  In the meantime, DO NOT FLUSH FRESH WATER!!!   cmkv

Hello to all those who read my blogs. 

We were written about and we did not even know it.  The best kind of publicity is truly word of mouth and unsolicited.  Thank you to Michele Melio for her kind words.  To view her article check out this site http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5397-Denver-Green-Initiative-Examiner~y2009m11d15-Colorado-Green-Tech-MeetUp-Green-Grey-water-recycling

The Colorado Sustainable Design Awards sets a high standard for new construction in both commercial and residential green building.  The most recent awards,  judged on standards set by the Colorado chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute Colorado and the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado in partnership with ColoradoBiz magazine, gave the first and second place residential award to homes with the Water Legacy WL55 Greywater Recycling System.

This statewide program seeks to recognize the builders who construct both commercial and residential units that meet a set of established guidelines for saving energy and reducing your carbon footprint. Our greywater reuse system was cited prominently in both homes located in Boulder county as one of the leading edge clean technology advancements that set the winners apart.  “Case in point: The winning entry in the residential category – which required lobbying the city of Boulder to allow recycling of gray water – was commissioned by a homeowner who scoffed at the city’s new “green build” guidelines. The sustainable features he had in mind for his home, he told his architect, would trump anything the city required. And he was willing to spend a lot of money to include them.” ColoradoBIZ Magazine, November 2, 2009.

The WL55 was noted by the judges as one of the features in the homes that is marked for future expansion and usage in all building.  To see more about the awards and the winners visit ColoradoBiz Magazine at http://www.cobizmag.com/articles/csda-beyond-the-call-of-green/

For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Contact for Reporters:
Emily Narvaes Wilmsen
(970) 491-2336
Emily.Wilmsen@colostate.edu

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS EXPLORE GRAYWATER IRRIGATION AS POTENTIAL WATER CONSERVATION TOOL
Media Box:
CSU graywater team
Associated images
CSU graywater team
Note to Editors: A photo of the CSU graywater team is available with the news release at http://www.newsinfo.colostate.edu/.

FORT COLLINS - Graywater - nonpotable water from showers, handwash sinks and laundry - is used for residential landscape irrigation in a number of states in the Southwest; however, little is known about long-term effects of this practice, according to Colorado State University civil engineers.

Sybil Sharvelle and Larry Roesner, professors with the Urban Water Center in Colorado State’s College of Engineering, are in the first year of a three-year $370,000 graywater study awarded by the Water Environment Research Foundation to investigate the effects of using household graywater for residential landscape irrigation. They are sampling soil, plants, and water at homes with graywater systems in California, Arizona, Texas and Colorado. Four of the homes have graywater systems that have been in place for more than five years, and four additional homes will have new systems installed before spring of 2009.

Three homes with systems in place for more than 5 years - in Colorado, California and Texas - have been tested to date.

The study is one of four projects that Roesner and Sharvelle are leading on campus. The team also is working with the CSU Department of Facilities Management on several projects involving campus facilities including:

-Construction and monitoring of a wetlands treatment system for graywater at the Atmospheric Chemistry building on the Foothills campus. Students planted bull rushes and cattails last summer that, so far, are removing nearly all of the pathogen indicator organisms in sink and shower water, Sharvelle said. Researchers are also hauling shower and laundry water from a university residence hall to the Foothills campus to increase the quantity of water treated.

-Installing an anaerobic digester at the Atmospheric Chemistry building to treat toilet water or “blackwater” and test it as a source of renewable energy. Anaerobic processes generate methane, which can generate electricity.

-Plumbing one wing of the new residence hall, under construction, for complete capture of graywater from sinks, showers and laundry water; in addition, water supply lines to toilets are being plumbed to use either domestic water, or non-potable water (irrigation water or conditioned graywater) for toilet flushing. Studies by Sharvelle and Roesner will determine what level of treatment of graywater is required to make it suitable for toilet flushing. They are working with Water Legacy, a Colorado manufacturer of graywater treatment systems.

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Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523 USA
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Last modified on 3/25/2009 11:25:46 AM
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Wednesday March 18th, 2009

Boulder, Colorado

Water Legacy WL55 model passes IAPMO testing

The WL-55 has been designed to service the typical 4-to-6 person household. It is a stand-alone fully integrated system that collects used bathing greywater, filters & disinfects this water, and manages the automatic supply to the toilets. The WL-55 is fully automatic and requires no operator intervention. In the event of insufficient Greywater for flushing of toilets, the WL-55 will complement with Fresh Water.

For more information on Water Legacy and the WL55 contact Mike Vail at 303-547-9787