Gray water, also spelled as grey water, is water that already has
been used domestically, commercially and industrially. This
includes the leftover, untreated water generated from clothes
washers, bathtubs and bathroom sinks.
Standing under a shady tree drooping with pomegranates late
last year, Brad Simmons, a retired metal fabricator who has
lived in Healdsburg, California, for 57 years, showed off his
backyard orchard. Along with the apple, cherry, and peach
trees, he’s packed one pear tree, two lemon trees, and a
century-old olive tree into his bungalow’s compact garden. Of
course, the small grove requires plenty of water — an
increasingly scarce resource in a state that continues
grappling with a historic drought despite recent torrential
rains. Yet Simmons, like many of his fellow 12,000 residents,
has managed to keep much of this wine country community north
of San Francisco looking verdant while slashing the city’s
water use in half since 2020.
As the state continues to deal with a historic drought,
Southern California homeowners are getting the chance to
transform their thirsty grass and gardens. The Metropolitan
Water District offers rebates to residents ripping up their
lawns and putting in plants that don’t need a lot of water to
survive. Krista Guerrero, who works for MWD, took advantage of
the offer and now has a native pollinator garden at her Rowland
Heights home. It uses less water and will likely draw in more a
more nature-friendly atmosphere. … She even had crews
install a drip irrigation system. ”By changing out my
irrigation system from a traditional spray-sprinkler to a drip
irrigation system, I expect to see at least a 50 to 60 percent
reduction in the amount of water that I use, and a reduction in
my water bill anywhere from 30 to 70 percent,” she
said. Guerrero said she paid around $8,000 for it all and
will get $3,000 in return.
This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership
with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an
excellent overview of climate change and how it is already
affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists
anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and
precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are
underway to plan and adapt to climate.
As the state’s population continues to grow and traditional water
supplies grow tighter, there is increased interest in reusing
treated wastewater for a variety of activities, including
irrigation of crops, parks and golf courses, groundwater recharge
and industrial uses.
The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to California
Wastewater is an in-depth, easy-to-understand publication
that provides background information on the history of wastewater
treatment and how wastewater is collected, conveyed, treated and
disposed of today. The guide also offers case studies of
different treatment plants and their treatment processes.
Grey water, also spelled as gray water, is water that already has
been used domestically, commercially and industrially. This
includes the leftover, untreated water generated from washing
machines, bathtubs and bathroom sinks.
