Mike Dressler on Green Building, Buying and Living

Go Long Beach! In the ongoing effort to become a more sustainable city, the City of Long Beach has now launched the “Laundry to Landscape” graywater pilot program. According to the Office of Sustainability’s website, “This program is intended to raise awareness throughout the community, change attitudes and encourage greater participation in sustainability efforts.”

Graywater is considered any reusable wastewater from our washing machines, bathtubs and sinks. While not suitable for drinking, unfiltered graywater is safe for many uses such as landscape irrigation and refilling toilets. By reusing water just from our clothes washing machines, a family of 4 can save an estimated 60 gallons of water per week.

The program will provide a total of 36 free installations of Graywater reuse systems throughout Long Beach. These systems redirect used water from clothes washing machines for use in irrigation outside of the home. These irrigation systems are safe for watering most vegetable gardens, but are typically not recommended for watering lawns. All systems will be installed by a licensed plumber with assistance from the Long Beach Office of Sustainability.

For more information or to submit an application, visit the Long Beach Office of Sustainability’s website below. Or better yet, come to tonight’s Sustainability City Commission meeting at 4pm in the City Council Chambers downtown.

 http://www.longbeach.gov/citymanager/sustainability/water/laundry_to_landscape/default.asp