San Rafael, CA - With a statewide drought and global water issues looming large, it’s an excellent time to learn about graywater reuse – what it is, why it matters, how repurposing conserves drinking water, and how residents can install a graywater system at home.
Starting in March, Marin County Environmental Health Services is sponsoring a series of free educational workshops as part of its Go Green With Graywater program. Primarily focused on irrigation systems for homeowners, the first workshop will address “Laundry-to-Landscape,” the simplest graywater system to use. The workshops will be open to all but especially appropriate for do-it-yourselfers as well as plumbers, landscapers and other contractors.
The first workshop will be at 9:30 a.m. March 15, in the Tamalpais Room at the San Rafael Corporate Center, 750 Lindaro St., San Rafael. For more information, call 415-473-6907. Dates of the other workshops will be announced at a later date.
Graywater is often defined as household wastewater that does not contain serious contaminants. Most of it is generated by baths, showers and clothes washers. Wastewater generated by toilets, kitchen sinks and dishwashers is called blackwater.
Recent changes in California law make repurposing graywater more accessible for homeowners who want to reuse graywater to conserve fresh water use. The workshop is part of Marin’s work to teach the community about graywater reuse and encourage residents to install safe graywater systems in accordance with health and building practices.
For more information about the County’s graywater policies, check the webpage under Environmental Health Services.