In addition to being extremely energy efficient, another key aspect of earthship sustainability is the ability these homes have to minimize water usage. This is particularly relevant in California where residents have suffered from drought conditions for several years. In this atmosphere of need the California legislature and local government have addressed the use of gray water on a statewide level, though in a conservative way that seems almost to hinder as much as to help.
As we reviewed the requirements for installing a septic system here in Butte Co., CA we ended up doing a little research into the requirements for gray water recycling. How gray water is dealt with can impact the design of a septic system and so we took the opportunity to dig into state regulations, as well as, those that govern our specific situation here.Continue reading
