White Paper on Graywater

The American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation and the WateReuse Association have collectively produced a white paper report all about graywater. The report explores the history and motivation for reusing greywater, future trends in graywater systems and reuse, and key legislative models, regulations, standards and guidelines from states that have safely and effectively implemented graywater reuse.

Not many people know what graywater is, or even know of it's existence. 'White Paper on Graywater', written by Bahman Sheikh, is a valuable report which will hopefully help spread knowledge of graywater and the potential benefits of it's reuse. Graywater reuse can potentially be an important tool in the struggle to conserve water in the presence of growing demands for water and a depleting usable water supply.

Here is the agenda and scope of Sheikh's White Paper:

1) Characterize the most important issues in graywater and identify the policy implications of each;

2) Assess the potential impacts of rising trends in graywater use on the water recycling industry; and

3) Develop a regulatory and policy framework that will allow the industry to take appropriate actions to protect the integrity of the recycled water product and brand.

Some conclusions derived in this White Paper include the following:

• The impact of increased graywater reuse, if any, can vary regionally.
• Even under the most aggressive growth assumptions, the quantitative impact of increased graywater reuse on the water reuse industry is expected to be modest.
• Water quality impacts from extensive use of graywater in a community are not expected to be adverse.

The reuse of graywater has significant environmental, economic and societal potential. 'White Paper on Graywater' is a great step in the direction of taking a closer look at such an unfamiliar and under-developed potential source of water. As the paper shows, graywater might not be the panacea many people are hoping for but it will likely play an important role in helping communities grapple with water supply challenges.

Among the reports most useful bits of information is a review of the graywater industry and practices in states across the country that have been reusing graywater for years. This information can help inform similar policies, plumbing codes and guidelines in other states that currently outlaw graywater reuse.

If you are interested in doing a little further research into the topic, Bevan has an excellent previous blog post on graywater, it's uses and benifits; Greywater: A 'New' Low Energy Water Supply. Or, read White Paper on Graywater in it's entirety.