By Cara Spoto • Journal staff State lawmakers who recently introduced a bill aimed at protecting groundwater reserves are calling for the state to change plumbing codes to make it easier for residents to safely use graywater in their homes. Graywater is wastewater generated from the use of a clothes washer, sink, shower or bathtub. The state technically allows for the use of graywater in homes, but State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, who introduced the legislation along with Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, said the code is so confusing that most people are wary of installing systems. He added that, because of the strict language, some plumbers and local governments are under the false impression that graywater systems are prohibited under state law. "At the risk of using a pun, this is a gray area, and the legislation would clarify it, and give clear legislative intent that the codes should be as permissive as possible, consistent with public health," Black said. Kevin Masarik, outreach specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Watershed, agrees that the law needs to be cleared up. One way to use graywater is to water lawns and gardens, but another use, which is especially popular in Europe, is to flush toilets. Wisconsin's code, however, makes it very difficult to use graywater in toilets, Masarik said. "If you are going to be re-using the water to flush a toilet, it has got to have a certain pH, B.O.D. standard, and a certain chlorine residual so there is no harmful bacteria that will contaminate the water supply. That's kind of funny because you are just using it to flush down human waste," he said. In addition to loosening restrictions on graywater and giving communities greater power to regulate high-capacity wells, the legislation also asks the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to issue an order encouraging water conservation. The measure states that the PSC should focus on "groundwater management areas" where a drawdown of groundwater has depleted levels and flows on lakes and streams, or has caused problems with drinking water quality. Jeff Ripp, Water Conservation Coordinator with the PSC, said the commission has already made strides to encourage conservation among water utilities, adding that there are several utilities in central Wisconsin that have taken them up on their recommendations to encourage residents and businesses to use less water. One of those recommendations, currently being used in Weston and soon to be used in Marshfield, is establishing rate structures in which the price per unit volume of water goes up as a household uses more water. "It isn't meant to be a punitive rate. It's meant to reflect the cost of providing service to residents who use more water, because they put a greater strain on the system," Ripp said.
