Policy and Legislation
Poor sanitation practices have been responsible for disease and misery throughout human history. The water supply and wastewater infrastructures and accompanying regulations that the plumbing trades have helped build up and maintain undeniably represent a major victory for human health and well-being. Now the California Department of Public Health acknowledges water shortage and water quality as being equally serious future health threats, which should be addressed without jeopardizing past progress in safeguarding water supplies.
There are other legitimate concerns related to alternative water systems. When rainwater or stormwater is diverted, it may alter the current destination of that water, affecting the bigger watershed picture. For instance, water that was percolating into the ground might be captured for use indoors and then drain into a municipal wastewater system that discharges elsewhere. Applied on a large scale, this could alter how much pure water reaches stream, river, coastal ecosystems, groundwater, and human downstream users. This is an area now receiving more attention and useful research should soon follow.
How water is discharged can also present environmental concerns. It is quite simple to safely construct rainwater and graywater collection and infiltration or reuse systems. However, if designers or users of rainwater, graywater or alternate blackwater systems are careless or not sufficiently informed, persistent chemicals could accumulate in soil, reach groundwater or surface waters. Improperly redirected rain or stormwater could cause erosion, water damage to property and environmental degradation. These are all issues that are easily managed, but are often areas of undue concern for city legislators as well as permitting and health departments. Proper education is vital for all participating in water reuse legislation so as to not constrict the development of safe and sound water capture and reuse strategies, vital for water security in California.
In many jurisdictions, the most critical concern will be the risk and potential public liability of an alternate water source mixing with and contaminating a municipal water supply (even if your treated rainwater might actually contain fewer contaminants than the municipal supply!).
While city personnel all over California are moving towards more progressive allowance of water use and reuse, getting permits for some systems, particularly indoor graywater reuse and blackwater alternatives such as compost toilets, can still be alarmingly difficult or impossible. Getting permits for building an alternative water system may boil down to persistently providing expert evidence that counters each question or objection raised by authorities. The more clearly you can demonstrate that your design addresses all concerns, the better your chance of success. Hopefully, as government officials see increasing numbers of well-designed projects, officials will become advocates for water reuse and partners in developing effective yet simple codes.
Wholly H2o is committed to the education of city building inspectors and other departments, water agency employees, plumbers, planners, architects, landscapers and water reuse system designers and installers through monthly forums and our upcoming certification programs.
