www.ReuseGrayWater.com
Phone: 310-791-0283

System Design

When I started GWRS over three years ago, I had two primary design goals, safety and automatic operation. There were many secondary goals as well but safety and automatic operation were foremost.

First, the system needed to purify and disinfect water to acceptable recycled water quality standards and second, operate in an automatic, trouble free manner. Secondary goals were simple maintenance, durability, easy and versatile installation, affordability and finally appearance, a system that looked rugged yet elegant.

Regarding the primary goals. If we were going to irrigate lawns with water from our system we wanted to be 100% sure kids, pets and everyone else could roll around on those lawns without adverse health effects ...at least from the water used to irrigate them.  A huge benefit of our system is the ability to above ground irrigate, discussed in detail below.

As far as functioning automatically, the water to be reused needed to quickly flow through the purification and disinfection process and be stored in sufficient quantities to supply daily irrigation and toilet tank needs. Then be automatically delivered to meet those needs when required.

It took years of testing, experimenting, refining filtration techniques, data analysis, pump configurations, different filter media and then more testing. It was well worth the journey; the system we build far exceeds our design criteria and is a true state-of-the-art product.

We are proud to now offer it for sale.

Recycled as Mother Nature Intended: Those skeptical of our system cite the electricity needed or the filters and water flow system, pointing out that household plumbing systems work entirely on gravity. True, but household plumbing systems don't purify and disinfect your water, they carry it away so someone else can do it. Someone else being the municipal sewer treatment facility that ends up using a whole lot more electricity than you do. Our system gives you the ability to start and complete the recycling process at the point of original use, "Point Source Recycling".

Moreover, here's an extremely critical point, when the treatment plant is finished with the water you showered and washed your clothes with ...they pump it into the ocean. Will it ever return as fresh water? All the water our systems recycle, with the exception of what's used in toilet tanks, goes directly into the ground to replenish the water table. Just as Mother Nature has been doing for thousands of years.

Water Purification: Every state and many Countries have their own recycled water quality testing criteria. The primary tests are to determine the presence and amount of human and/or animal waste (feces), water turbidity (clarity) and other harmful bacteria. Coliform and E. coli bacteria being the primary ones tested for.

One extremely important point to consider is the recycled water standards from virtually all state agencies are written to deal with water provided by municipal sewer treatment plants. Water that at one time was Raw Sewage, Black Water, the foulest of the foul, to be blunt ...turd water and a whole lot worse. By comparative standards, the water our system processes from shower and laundry is a clear mountain stream.

Water purified and disinfected by our system has been continually tested for coliform and E. coli bacteria as well as turbidity. Done by independent laboratories, tests have shown it exceeds the standards listed in Title 22 as established by the California Department of Health in these three main categories as well as many others.  Every system we install comes with a post installation water quality test and continued monitoring can be done.

Automatic Operation: Like your pool filter, irrigation system or DVR recording a favorite show, once set and calibrated, our system functions automatically with a minimum of interaction from you.

A float switch monitors water level turning on a pump to move the water through a six-stage filtration and disinfection process. A regulator reads and controls water pressure in the delivery system to assure adequate pressure to supply the needed demand.  A back-flow preventer and check valves keep the water flowing safely and properly. While a solenoid valve and float switch make sure there is sufficient water to irrigate when you're on vacation.

Pressure gages let you to monitor system performance, indicating when service is required.  Pre-set alarms signal a back up in the system and the UV lamp has a digital display to show disinfection status and lamp life.

Above Ground Irrigation: For a "source point" gray water recycling system to be effective and provide maximum water saving impact, it needs to provide water for both irrigation and toilet tanks. It also needs to be easy to install and able to connect to existing irrigation systems.  Only with these attributes can there be broad market impact and thus significant and beneficial water savings for the entire community.

Public parks, playgrounds, golf courses and numerous other public 'green' spaces all above ground irrigate with recycled water provided by municipal water agencies.  You've seen the signs, "Irrigating with Recycled Water, Do Not Drink". If these very public locations are allowed to irrigate with recycled water there is absolutely no rational justification to not allow residents to irrigate their own private property with recycled water; provided the water meets reasonable safe guidelines for bacteria content.

Gray water recycling is going through a rapid and sometimes bumpy municipal acceptance process. Driven by local residents wanting to do the right thing by recycling water and local administrators and politicians realizing the pending water crisis and approving responsible gray water recycling.

Ultra Violet Disinfection:

Under construction, check back tomorrow

Maintenance:

The Building Permit Process