Legislature Approves Reuse of Bathing and Laundry Greywater for Irrigation at Multifamily Buildings

Passage of HB2080 (signed into the law by the Governor on June 12th) will now allow property owners to use treated greywater from bathing and laundry for irrigation and other outdoor applications. This is in addition to a previous state administrative rule allowing the harvesting of rainwater for toilet flushing, clothes washing, and for heating and cooling.

Over the next year, the Oregon DEQ will create a greywater-use permit process to reflect the new standards. Passage of the bill is the result of a two-year effort of Central City Concern and partners to improve water conservation at multifamily buildings. “We see enormous potential for both energy and water conservation,” said Ben Gates, project manager and architect for CCC. “Approximately 30 to 40 percent in water savings can be realized with the application of greywater reuse systems in multifamily buildings.”

Central City Concern issued a report entitled "Achieving Water Independence in Buildings" in March of 2009. The report is available for download here.