Denver is first Colorado city to allow graywater use Email
Thursday, May 12, 2016 02:00 AM

GreywaterOn May 2nd, Denver City Council passed an ordinance that makes Denver one of the first cities in Colorado to allow the use of graywater for residential, commercial and industrial purposes.

Graywater is defined as the portion of wastewater that is collected from fixtures within residential, commercial, industrial buildings, or institutional facilities for the purpose of being put to a second beneficial use, and can be collected from bathroom and laundry room sinks, bathtubs, showers, and washing machines. Graywater can be used to flush toilets or urinals, or for subsurface irrigation of non-agricultural crops.

In 2013, the Colorado State Legislature authorized the use of graywater in Colorado, providing local health departments with the ability to monitor and regulate the use and treatment. In 2015, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission adopted 5 CCR § 1002-86 (“Regulation 86”), which permits local governments to adopt an ordinance authorizing the use of graywater.

“Water is a precious resource in Colorado and as Denver’s population grows, water conservation will be of continued importance. We’re excited to be the first to pass a measure that gives our residents and businesses the ability to save resources and money at the same time,” says Mayor Michael B. Hancock.

A graywater program will support the City’s 2020 Community Sustainability Goal for Water Quantity of reducing per capita use of potable water in Denver by 22 percent by providing a new option to conserve water.

The city expects that the greatest demand for graywater will come from new hotels, multi-family residential facilities, and dormitories. These buildings see high uses of water from showers and laundry and high water demand for toilet flushing.

The Denver Board of Environmental Health is expected to approve rules and regulations late summer describing how the program will be implemented. Participation in the program will be completely voluntary.

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