WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT - GRAY WATER
Reuse your Gray Water – Conserve Arizona’s most precious resource…WATER. New regulations for use of all types of reclaimed water became effective January 2001. Gray water use will help you save money and conserve Arizona’s valuable water. A brochure Using Gray Water at Home is available. What is Gray Water? In the new rule, gray water is defined as wastewater, collected separately from your sewage flow that originates from a clothes washer, bathtub, shower or sink, but not from a kitchen sink, dishwasher or toilet. To make the process easier for homeowners who want to use gray water at their homes, ADEQ developed the new rules with stakeholder input. Many of these rules are based on the results of a gray water study conducted statewide. Eligibility and Usage Requirements
1. Gray Water is meant for private residential use only. Gray water must be used on the site where it is generated and cannot be accessed by the public. 2. Gray Water can only be used for irrigation – not for dust control, water features, cooling or other water uses. 3. Spray irrigation is not permitted due to the potential for inhalation or drifting off-site. 4. Gray water flow must be less than 400 gallons per day and never flow off your property. The basic requirements to use gray water at your home are simple: No permit is required by Gila County Wastewater Department. However, a Building Permit for plumbing modifications necessary to implement Gray Water Re-use must be obtain from the Gila County Community Development Department or the appropriate Town Community Development Department before beginning construction. Arizona’s Rules for Gray Water Use – Best Management Practices 1. First and foremost, avoid human contact with gray water.
2. You may use gray water for household gardening, composting, and lawn and landscape irrigation, but it should not run off your own property. 3. Do not surface irrigate any plants that produce food except for citrus and nut trees. 4. Use only flood or drip irrigation to water lawns and landscaping. Spraying gray water is prohibited. 5. When determining the location for your gray water irrigation, remember that it cannot be in a wash or drainage way. 6. Gray water may only be used in locations where groundwater is at least five feet below the surface. 7. Label pipes carrying gray water under pressure if confusion between gray water and drinking water pipes is possible. 8. Cover, seal and secure storage tanks to restrict access by small rodents and to control disease-carrying insects. 9. Hazardous chemicals, such as antifreeze, mothballs and solvents, cannot be in gray water. Do not include wash water from greasy or oily rags in your gray water. 10. Gray water from washing diapers or other infectious garments must be discharged to a residential sewer or other wastewater facility, or it can be disinfected prior to its use. 11. Surface accumulation of gray water must be kept to a minimum. 12. Should a backup occur, gray water must be disposed into your normal wastewater drain system. To avoid such a backup, consider using a filtration system to reduce plugging and extend the system’s lifetime. 13. If you have a septic or other on-site wastewater disposal system, your gray water use does not change that system’s design requirements.
Contact Us:Gila County Community Development
1400 East Ash
Globe, Arizona 85501
928-425-3231 Ext. 8520
Fax 928-425-0829 | Gila County Community Development
714 S. Beeline Hwy. Suite 200
Payson, Arizona 85541
928-474-7175
Fax 928-474-0802 |
800-304-4452
Extension 8502 for Globe Office
Extension 7175 for Payson Office
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