Fwd: Impending Graywater Legislation: Take Action!

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Alex Lantsberg

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Mar 2, 2012, 2:29:26 PM3/2/12

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elizabeth Dougherty <el...@whollyh2o.org>
Date: Fri, Mar 2, 2012 at 11:05 AM
Subject: Impending Graywater Legislation: Take Action!

Dear Water Users (and Reusers):

Please consider taking IMMEDIATE ACTION by speaking up about the current proposed graywater and rainwater legislation. The succinct letter included below is from Laura Allen, Director of Greywater Action. Wholly H2o, co-members with Greywater Action in the CA Greywater Alliance, wholeheartedly supports the suggestions made by Greywater Action. The next meeting on this crucial legislation is this coming Wedensday, March 7th. So there is no time to loose in writing a letter or planning to attend the meeting...or both!

California Plumbing Code Chapter 16 for graywater and rainwater – Wedensday, March 7th, 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location at HCD headquarters in Sacramento

Department of Housing and Community Development

Division of Codes and Standards

1800 3rd Street, Room 260-33

Sacramento, CA 95811-6944

This legislation is of ultimate importance to the future use of rainwater and graywater in this state. While these local water sources are conceptulized by some as "alternative" water supplies, without ready access to their use and reuse, our surface and ground water supplies will become increasingly threatened.

Please review the information below and take action. Mother Earth can't fix the ecological mess we've made all by herself.

Best,

Elizabeth Dougherty, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Wholly H2O

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

California Greywater (and Rainwater) Code at Stake!

Your help is needed!

A new state proposal is set to adopt more a restrictive code which will move California backward and prevent more widespread use of rainwater and greywater.

As part of a triennial code adoption process the recent (2009) California greywater code is being thrown out and replaced with a more restrictive and cumbersome code. This new proposed code also includes rainwater- with overly stringent requirements- which would make many back yard rain barrel and cistern systems illegal.

Even if you don't live in California your voice is needed. This proposed code is part of the "Universal Plumbing Code" which is adopted by many states in the US. If California rejects the restrictive components it can help other states do the same.

For a more sustainable water future for California we need to change this proposed code! Please send comments (example letter below) and forward this widely.

Send to:
Shawn Huff (from Department of Housing and Community Development) email: sh...@hcd.ca.gov
Enrique Rodriguez (from Building Standards Commission) email: enrique....@dgs.ca.gov
Governor Jerry Brown email: gove...@governor.ca.gov
Your assembly person and/or state senator (if you don't know who they are, you can find them here)

Dear Shawn Huff and Enrique Rodriguez,

I am writing to express my concern over the proposed adoption of Chapter 16 of the Uniform Plumbing Code for California. I believe we need a code that will encourage and support water reuse so we can protect California's water resources and reduce our consumption of fresh water supplies.

I want California to support low cost, safe and legal systems. Please do not adopt the proposed code until it has been changed so it can benefit, not harm our water future.

I urge you to make the following changes to the code:

1) Restore any text present in the current greywater code that is missing in the proposed code.
2) Don't include more restrictive and prohibitive language in the new code for greywater systems.
3) Allow for simple and legal back yard rainwater harvesting systems including gravity fed rainwater irrigation systems with no permit and no treatment of the water (i.e. chlorine)
4) Greatly increase the size of rainwater storage that doesn't require a permit. Other states allow safe types of cisterns up to 5,000 gallons with no permit. The proposed 360 gallons is much to small, that is only the size of 7 rain barrels.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this issues.

(Your Name)

Other things to include in this letter:
If you have greywater or rainwater systems in your home
If this could affect your business.
Local water issues that make this important for your area

If you are able to attend a March 7th stakeholders meeting in Sacramento about this please see the details below.
Down load the draft proposal here.

California Plumbing Code Chapter 16 for graywater and rainwater – 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location at HCD headquarters in Sacramento

Department of Housing and Community Development

Division of Codes and Standards

1800 3rd Street, Room 260-33

Sacramento, CA 95811-6944

Teleconferencing will not be available for the meeting on March 7th; however, if you are unable to attend, please forward any comments or recommendations for residential applications to Shawn Huff, Housing Standards Programs Manager, at sh...@hcd.ca.gov.

If you plan to attend the focus group meeting, please advise Dee Benbow by March 5th via email at dbe...@hcd.ca.gov.

For comments on commerical scale projects send to Enrique Rodriguez, Associate Construction Analyst, enrique....@dgs.ca.gov, (916) 263-0916.

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Wholly H2O is a catalyst for sustainable, integrated water management in California. Using innovative research and education, we advance locally adapted solutions for water efficiency, augmented by pragmatic (re)use of rain, storm, gray, and black water. We are mainstreaming water-wise policies and practices.

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