Gray Water in Dublin

A sign outside Home Depot in Dublin, CA grabbed my attention: Recycled Water Delivery. The Drought Savers website describes their services. They transport recycled water to your location in their tanker trucks, and offer a full line of storage tanks and pumps for managing the water. Their primary service area is Livermore, Pleasanton, and Brentwood. Pricing depends on water needs and location. This is a great idea – something for homeowners to help mitigate the drought.

Delivery service for gray water

I work in Dublin, and admire the city’s use of gray water for public landscapes (their beautiful street trees are irrigated with recycled water). The gray water infrastructure is managed by the San Ramon Valley Recycled Water Program, a partnership of two water districts. But currently, California regulations prevent single-family homes from tapping into the gray water infrastructure.

The Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) offers an alternative for residents in Dublin, San Ramon, and Pleasanton – free recycled water available for pick up at one of their fill stations. You bring your own containers, and get instructions on how to transport and manage the recycled water. One of the fill stations is in Dublin, near the Civic Center. Water is heavy, so you need the right rig and containment to manage the water.

Trucks line up to pick up gray water in Dublin

 

This is the kind of innovation we need to help solve our water shortage! Gray water is being cleansed and recycled for landscape use. An infrastructure is being built to deliver recycled water to large scale landscapes. Creative solutions are available for getting recycled water to small landscapes. A few hurdles need to be worked out. Could a less affluent area afford a gray water infrastructure? When will California codes support gray water for single family homes? But the program in the Tri-Valley area is a good start, and a good test case for learning.