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Hands-on Greywater Workshops: 1 day

Unpublished

Greywater Action has trained hundreds of people...

Who should come:

Homeowners, students, landscapers, plumbers, environmentalists, anyone interested in learning more about simple greywater systems and seeing how they work.

What you'll learn:

  • Best sources of greywater
  • What types of soaps and products to use
  • Codes and regulations
  • Most common types of low tech systems
  • System design process

What you'll do:

Manufactured greywater systems

Typical manufactured systems filter and disinfect greywater, then use it to flush toilets. In most residential situations, it is more environmentally and economically beneficial to reuse greywater directly in the landscape, bypassing any type of manufactured system. In situations where there are large quantities of greywater produced, and not much irrigation need, it makes sense to treat the water and reuse it for toilet flushing. We don't recommend any of these systems for typical residential situations. If a resident does not have outdoor irrigation need, however, then these kinds of systems can be appropriate.

About greywater reuse

Greywater irrigated landscapeGreywater irrigated landscapeGreywater is water from your bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines. It is not water that has come into contact with feces, either from the toilet or from washing diapers.

Greywater may contain traces of dirt, food, grease, hair, and certain household cleaning products. While greywater may look “dirty,” it is a safe and even beneficial source of irrigation water in a yard. There are many simple, economical ways to reuse greywater in the landscape.

Register for installer's workshop

Unpublished

Course date: April 26th-30th *This course is full*

Course location: Oakland, CA

Cost: $595

Greywater installers course

Unpublished

Greywater Action's 5 day "Greywater design and installation course for installers"

Day 1

About Us

|History|   |Name changes|    |Bios|

Greywater Action- For a Sustainable Water Culture

We are a collaborative group of educators, designers, builders, and artists who educate and empower people to build sustainable water culture and infrastructure.

Workshop sign-up

Requirements for no-permit systems in California

Under the new (2009) California greywater code, washing machine systems that do not alter the existing plumbing do not require a permit as long as the installer follows these guidelines. (Single fixture systems were removed from the permit exemption after the public comment period- a shower system does require a permit.) This change went into effect on August 4th, 2009 and will be written into the state plumbing code for 2011.

Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground

Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground

Available from 100 Fires.

"The politics of water - as this brilliant anthology makes clear - are the politics of human survival. Read this, and believe me, you'll never flush with the same equanimity again."

About rainwater harvesting

Rainbarrels line the side of a garage.Rainbarrels line the side of a garage.This page includes the main article, web resources, city resources, and links to other water harvesting organizations around the county.

Harvesting rainwater can reduce our need--and demand--for water transport systems that threaten the health of the water cycle and our local environments.

On any house lot, there are three potential sources for harvesting the rain: Direct rainfall, street harvesting, and roof harvesting.

Installers' directory

Tightening with channel locksTightening with channel locksA good greywater installer needs both plumbing and landscaping skills.  We teach people how to design and install simple, residential greywater system for landscape direct irrigation. These systems fall under the "simple" and "permit exempt" systems in the new California plumbing code.

Greywater Friendly Products

The products listed below do not contain salt, salt compounds, or boron. The Oasis soaps and ECOS do not change the pH of the water, and in general liquid detergents do not change the pH.

About composting toilets

Corn grown with urine-fertilizer. (photo by Peter Morgan, Aquamor)Corn grown with urine-fertilizer. (photo by Peter Morgan, Aquamor)The modern day sewer system has failed. Fortunately, we don't need costly sewage plants or septic systems to render human waste into a harmless substance that, instead of being a problem, is a solution to problems of water shortages, water pollution, and reliance on chemical fertilizers.

This is ecological sanitation, taking care of our human sanitation needs in a way that is helpful, rather than harmful, to the environment.

Registration

Sliding scale donation between $30 and $100.

Greywater Action has been sharing these workshops for many years and have a huge passion for bringing this information to anyone who wants it. We strive to make it affordable for as many people as possible (and work trade is available too, let us know if you are interested). But if you are able to, please consider paying towards the top of the scale because you will make it possible for us to do more low cost workshops for more people.

New Mexico Code

The state of New Mexico does not require a permit for private residential greywater systems that follow the following guidelines.

This was copied from the state site on on 9/1/09.

20.7.3.810 GRAYWATER DISCHARGES: Graywater discharge of less than 250 gallons per day of private residential graywater originating from a residence for the resident’s household flower gardening, composting or landscaping irrigation shall be allowed if:

Greywater Project Page summary

Part of a laundry-to-landscape system.Part of a laundry-to-landscape system.

Read about greywater projects here!

Walk through examples of greywater systems using washing machines, sinks, and showers to irrigate fruit trees, berries, ornamentals, and vegetables.

Publications

Books:

Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground 

Edited by Cleo Woelfle-Erskine, July Oskar Cole, and Laura Allen, illustrated by Annie Danger. Soft Skull Press, 2007

This 2007 anthology brings together an analysis of water's history with the active fight for its future. An investigation into the political economy and environmental impact of water consumption, Dam Nation presents water harvesting and ecological as ways for readers to join the "water underground" themselves.

Old-site

We've created a new website. Please visit it by clicking the menu on the left. If you are looking for something specific in the old site you can visit it here.

Wetland information

TaroTaroWetlands are nature's water purifiers. They remove nutrients filter sediments from floodwaters, and can be designed to remove nutrients and other pollutants from stormwater and wastewater.Although greywater used for irrigation does not need treatment, constructed wetlands can be used to treat greywater for destined for the aquifer or a local creek, river, pond, or estuary, or to create backyard wildlife habitat.

When thinking about treating greywater in a wetland, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Water justice

Water privatization: Theft of the commons

by Jeff Conant

Health studies on greywater

There are many studies on the safety of reusing greywater. A consensus among studies is that greywater is not safe to ingest, and thus greywater systems should keep greywater in pipes and soaking into the ground to prevent accidental ingestion. This page contains summaries and links to several studies on greywater.

How to do a percolation test

In a well-functioning greywater system, greywater soaks into the ground without  pooling or running off. In general, clayey soils drain very slowly, while sandy or gravelly soils drain quickly. A home percolation test is a simple way to measure how quickly your soil drains and to determine how much area you need to infiltrate the greywater.

test

Blah.Bamboo irrigated with greywater: Bamboo grown with greywater infiltrated into mulch basins.Bamboo irrigated with greywater: Bamboo grown with greywater infiltrated into mulch basins.

Bamboo irrigated with greywater: Bamboo grown with greywater infiltrated into mulch basins.Bamboo irrigated with greywater: Bamboo grown with greywater infiltrated into mulch basins.

Choosing plants and irrigating with greywater

Apple tree watered with greywater.Apple tree watered with greywater.Whatever your water source, grow plants that produce food, provide habitat to wildlife, or create other beneficial uses like mulch, fertilizer, fuel, or building materials!

Read more about how and where to irrigate plants with greywater, what to consider when choosing plants, and how to keep plants healthy.

For renters

Collecting sink waterCollecting sink waterThere are many ways to reduce water use with minor or temporary plumbing alterations. Options range from installing shower shut off valves, to collecting greywater under a sink, to putting a washing machine outside the house, or even installing sawdust composting toilet! 

New water cultures

The right to water is the most basic human right. Water is the lifeblood of the planet, and the fight for water is a social justice struggle at the intersection of political power plays and environmental science. This struggle is fought by people in China, Guatemala, and India being displaced by giant dams, by farmers in California’s Central Valley who are being poisoned by agricultural runoff in their drinking water, by traditional fisherfolk fighting for the return of migratory fish blocked by mega-dams around the world. This page explores how U.S. residents can create new cultural relationships with water through dialog, writing, theater, eco art, and our daily water use.

Laundry to Landscape (aka Drumless Laundry)

This is a low-tech system that provides easy  distribution of greywater to many plants. It is relatively low cost, and easy to install. The washing machine's internal pump slightly pressurizes the greywater, so this system can irrigate plants that are slightly uphill or further away along flat ground.

Where to get materials

You can find many greywater system materials can often be found at a local salvage yard. Each type of system requires a few specialty parts that can be found from online stores, large plumbing supply houses, and irrigation stores. Read more about where to find parts for your greywater system here.

Dams and Dam Removal

Dams drove agricultural, industrial, and urban development in the West, but, by altering natural flow patterns and trapping sediment, created complex problems for migratory fish and downstream ecosystems. Since the late 1800s, 76,000 dams over six feet tall have been constructed in the contiguous U.S. A 2003 Heinz Foundation report estimated that by 2020, 80% of U.S. dams will reach the end of their design and regulatory lifespan.

River restoration

Rivers are a precious (priceless?) commons, defined by the public trust doctrine as common public resource. Yet in North America and around the world, the doctrine of Manifest Destiny has degraded rivers and the watersheds they drain.

test page

Blah?

Undamming the West

Two Dams Down: Undamming the West, One River at a Time in Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground (excerpt)

by Cleo Woelfle-Erskine and Laura Allen

Removing the Klamath dams

Removing the Klamath Dams -- One part of the struggle

This is an excerpt of an article in Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground.

The Strategy

The story that follows tells how a coalition made up of the Yurok, Hupa, Karuk, and Klamath tribes; the Pacific Coast Commercial Fisherman's Association; and the environmental group Friends of the River fought the relicensing of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River in the U.S. regulatory arena, the courts, and the public relations stage of multinational finance.

The History of Dams

The History of Dams

by Cleo Woefle-Erskine

Graduates of the greywater installer's course

Coming soon!

We'll be listing the graduates of our installer's course here.

Education home page

Hands-on workshop- making mulch basinsHands-on workshop- making mulch basinsEducation is at the heart of our work. We provide workshops, trainings, presentations, theater, and a demonstration booth on sustainable water use technologies.

Education

Education is at the heart of our work. We provide workshops, trainings, presentations, theater, and a demonstration booth on sustainable water use technologies.

Presentations:

We offer a variety of presentations, catering to the particular interest and knowledge level of the group. We've presented to groups such as colleges, professional firms, garden groups, church groups, high school students, green festivals, and cities.

Commercial scale greywater applications

Apartments, businesses, schools, or other situations with more water, more people, and more public exposure to the greywater will require a more complex and sophisticated system for reuse. Systems for this situation collect greywater in a large temporary tank, filter and disinfect it, and then pump it back to either flush toilets, or supply a drip irrigation system for the landscape.

Laundry to Landscape pdf

Rainfall data from San Francisco

Some plots of historical rainfall in San Francisco: (uses USGS data, 1960-2007)

Rainfall Data and Calculations

Sample charts and calculations looking at rain potential, frequency, and patterns in San Francisco and Berkeley, California. Sample charts show how large a tank would be needed to store rainfall from this area.

Rainfall data from Berkeley

Sample rainwater harvesting calculations

Sample rainwater harvesting calculations in 3 different document types.

History of Sewers

Cesspools and Cholera: The Development of the Modern Sewer

by Joaquin I. Uy

This is an excerpt of an article in Dam Nation: Dispatches from the Water Underground.

WERF Graywater Study

Tucson rainwater harvesting ordinance

Tucson, Arizona is the first municipality in the country to require developers of commercial properties to harvest rainwater for landscaping.All new developments must meet 50 percent of their landscaping water needs by capturing rainwater. The new rule goes into effect June 1, 2010.

Test page

Sourcing the Rain

Design landscape to welcome the rain

Bioswale: Vegetation captures runoff from paths at UC Berkeley.Bioswale: Vegetation captures runoff from paths at UC Berkeley.On any house lot, there are three potential sources for harvesting the rain. The easiest to capture is the rain that falls on the yard. Shape the surface of the soil to slow down runoff, raise paths and patios, and sink all planting areas to capture the flow. Choose plants -- primarily low-water-use natives -- that can absorb and hold that water in their root systems.

Threats from Sewage

Shortchanged

Why is this black?

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Shortchanged

Other technologies

Intro to the other technologies.