Installing and Using

Greywater
Greywater is untreated waste water which has not come into contact with toilet waste. Graywater includes waste
water from bathtubs, showers, bathroom wash basins, washing machines, and laundry tubs. It does not include
waste water from kitchen sinks, photo lab sinks, dishwashers, or laundry water from soiled diapers.

Installing a Permitted System

You might want a permit because it increases the resale value of the home and helps increase public acceptance
for the use of greywater.

FIRST
In Berkeley, in order to install a permitted greywater system you should first plan your greywater system with
consultation from a professional who is familiar with State of California Greywater Standards. At this point the
soil should be tested, the amount of land and water available should be estimated and plans drawn that follow
the Greywater Standards guidelines. It may be helpful to consult the Graywater Guide put out by the California
Department of Water Resources at http://www.owue.water.ca.gov/docs/graywater_guide_book.pdf

NEXT
You can find a list of professionals in the Bay Area who design and install greywater systems on the Ecology
Center EcoDirectory at ecologycenter.org/directory. The Ecology Center’s EcoHouse greywater system was
installed by Dig Cooperative (digcity.coop).

The designer you choose or yourself should

contact the City of Berkeley Planning &
Development Office Permit Service Center at (510)
981-7400 to make an appointment to get zoning
approval and then submit a plumbing permit.
After the permit is issued and the construction has
been performed, you should schedule an
inspection to make sure the actual system follows
the plan. This process may be difficult and take
time. Thankfully however, the permitting process
tends to get more streamlined with each permit
issued so by sticking with it you are helping the
accessibility of greywater improve for others. You
can find the plumbing permit application online,
(see Further Resources below).
photo by kqedquest
Outside of Berkeley: Most cities do not have a
permitting process in place for greywater. If you are interested in a permitted system you should contact one of
the professional designers from the EcoDirectory who can research the code in your area.

DIY / Guerrilla System

You might want to do-it-yourself because you are handy and don’t want to wait or pay for a permit or you may
not own your home. Be aware that according to the State of California It shall be unlawful for any person to

2530 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94702

510.548.2220 x233
erc@ecologycenter.org
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construct, install or alter, or cause to be constructed, installed or altered any graywater system in a building or on
premises without first obtaining a permit. There are many ways to install and use greywater from easy to
complex.

EASY
There are a few after market accessories that you can purchase which reuse hand washing water to flush your
toilet including Sink Positive (www.sinkpositive.com), Gaiam’s toilet top sink (www.gaiam.com), and the AQUS
System (www.watersavertech.com). You can also bucket out your bathwater or take a bucket into the shower and
use it to flush the toilet or water plants.

MEDIUM
One local expert recommends installing a simple system using greywater from your washing machine because it is
not necessary to change the already existing plumbing. To do this put the drain pipe from your washer into a
larger pipe (or funnel to a garden hose) out a window or door either straight to the garden or into a holding tank
such as a plastic barrell so that the water can cool, and then into the garden. Don’t let the water sit for too long.
One good way to water plants using this method is by putting the hose into the hole of an upside down terra
cotta pot that is buried near the plants you want to water. You can bury several pots and move the hose from
place to place or move the pot instead.

Others like the Greywater Guerrillas, suggest disconnecting your bathroom sink drain pipe from the sewer pipe
with a wrench (leaving the P-trap in place) and putting a bucket under it instead. You can then use the greywater
in the bucket to flush the toilet or water plants.

HARD
More complex systems like branched-drain, constructed wetlands and greywater irrigation systems require
planning and some technical ability, but you can learn what you need to know through books or workshops.
Hands-on workshops and classes on installing greywater systems can be taken through the EcoHouse, SF Institute
of Architecture, and Berkeley Institute for Ecological Design. Check the Ecology Center EcoCalendar or call at
548-2220 x233 for info on these workshops.

You can also find step-by-step and technical instructions on building a greywater system in Create an Oasis with
Greywater by Art Ludwig and the Guerrilla Graywater Girls’ Guide to Water and Dam Nation: Dispatches from the
Water Underground by Cleo Woelfle-Erskine, July Oskar Cole, and Laura Allen. You can also find instructions and
tips on how to build greywater systems on their websites www.oasisdesign.net and www.greywaterguerrillas.com.

Safety tips for using greywater:

o Use greywater from bathroom sinks, tubs, showers, and washing machines and avoid greywater from kitchen
sinks, dishwashers, and toilets.
o Don’t use liquid fabric softener or harsh detergents. Look for biodegradable, low-sodium detergents
without phosphates, brighteners, boron, borax, enzymes or bleach. You can find Oasis biocompatible soaps at
Berkeley Bowl.
o Avoid storing greywater
o Apply greywater directly to the soil, not by spraying.
o Root crops that are eaten uncooked should not be irrigated with greywater.
o Don’t use greywater on young plants or plants that like acidic conditions.
o Water from laundry that includes diapers should not be used.
o Don’t use greywater when members of the household have a communicable disease such as staph or hepatitis.

Further Resources
The Greywater Guerrillas, www.greywaterguerrillas.com. Online information and workshops.
Oasis Design, www.oasisdesign.net
City of Berkeley plumbing permit application available at
www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/onlineservice/planning/Plumbing%20Permit%20Application.pdf
State of California Greywater Standards, http://www.owue.water.ca.gov/docs/Revised_Graywater_Standards.pdf.
Real Goods, 800-347-0070, realgoods.com. Sells 55 gallon greywater filter system, 3-way valves and other
greywater supplies.
Ashby Plumbing, 1000 Ashby Ave., Berkeley, (510) 843-6652. Sells plumbing equipment.
Build It Green, 888-404-7336, builditgreen.org. Provides green building advice including greywater.

Fact sheet written by Christine Martin.