In a bid to make San Diego more water-efficient, the city’s Natural Resources and Culture Committee last week proposed changes that would make it easier to install graywater systems.
Graywater systems allow users to take shower and laundry water that would otherwise flush into sewers, and redirect it to irrigation lines instead. From there, it can be used to water yards, gardens and orchards.
San Diego water officials estimate that half of all household water use goes to outdoor irrigation, and a pilot project by the city of Los Angeles found that graywater reuse can cut residential water use by half.
The changes would allow prospective graywater users to install systems for landscape irrigation that discharge less than 250 gallons a day without obtaining permits. And it would streamline permits for larger systems.
The proposed changes would also develop public outreach and education to promote graywater use.
Councilman David Alvarez, chair of the Natural Resources and Culture Committee, said the proposed rules will make it as easy as possible for residents to conserve water.
Councilwoman Sherri Lightner, who has advocated for the changes as a former member of the committee, said the changes bring San Diego up to speed with other California cities such as Santa Barbara and San Francisco, which have used graywater for years.
“It is such a simple and effective way to reduce water usage,” Lightner said in a statement. “It’s something other cities have been doing for years and San Diego needs to get on board.”
To help get boost awareness and increase graywater usage, local environmentalists also have launched the “Great Graywater Challenge,” which aims to install 365 graywater systems, or a system a day, and say the project could save as much as 5 million gallons of water annually.
For more information about the “Great Graywater Challenge,” visit