I can't water my front yard, but MV seems OK to allow all of these rental building to be built. Why is this never brought up when mentioning the drought.

We water our front yard whenever we want, using recycled indoor water. The plants look great and we still dropped our total usage by over 35%.
The solution seems well within our grasp if we mandate all new units be equipped w/ grey water systems.

It seems that the City Council has no regard that we may not have enough water for all of the new high density housing and offices. We need to stop this over building of Mountain View.

The overbuilding of office space and high density apartments is ridiculous--roads simply cannot support it. The only project that can help is the BRT bus lane that Mountain View approved earlier this year. That will help people get around.

We've been able to see huge reductions in our usage while we kept the yards looking great. The hard part is going to be figuring out what to do w/ the household water during El Nino. I cannot see going back to letting all that usable water simply go into the sewers. I guess I'll be re-charging the ground water with it. It'd be great to have a big underground cistern we could store clean house water in for the winter, then draw on it during the summer.
The lessons of this drought should last, if we're lucky.

I'm glad none of my next door neighbors are using recycled water. I just can't imagine having dirty, bacteria filled water sprayed upwind from us. Sitting outside, I really don't want to breathe in aerosolizes fecal originated bacteria into my lungs.

Please ask your neighbors if it is ok to do so. Ideally, you would also clean the water first through a carbon filter before polluting our air....

I don't know how you would pressurize it to "Spray all over". That would have to be some system and likely require a lot of permits and capital to make it work, likely involving washing machine run-off as well, which is a level of grey water use most don't go to because of the permits and complexity of filtration.

We just pump to soakers or into a watering can.
Since it is all TOTALLY legal to use recycled bath/shower water as well as clean shower "pre-hot runoff" without restriction what-so-ever, you need to educate your neighbors if they have an issue. The people with the scientific degrees who have studied the matter have already signed of on it as totally fine, no special restrictions needed because it is even more sanitary that the dirt it's flowing onto, so if someone did manage spray it around, it's still cleaner than the dust that blows up on windy days.

Yes, all that dirt we picked up from the outdoors gets mixed with hot water and mild soap then the bacterium that are still left alive are returned to their origin. The "clean" dirt in your yard.

With this usage, any issues you have with sanitation are only in your head and not based in fact.
If you want to sound smart about grey water, read the plethora info here: http://greywateraction.org
Otherwise, feel free to invent issues that in reality are not issues at all.

@@Unsanitary, you made some insulting AND incorrect statements:

"Since it is all TOTALLY legal to use recycled bath/shower water as well as clean shower "pre-hot runoff" without restriction what-so-ever, you need to educate your neighbors if they have an issue. "

Actually, there ARE restrictions. It’s State Law!
Web Link
1601 A.0 Graywater Systems – General. Section H:
"(H) Human contact with graywater or the soil irrigated by graywater shall be minimized and avoided, except as required to maintain the graywater system. The discharge point of any graywater irrigation or disposal field shall be covered by at least (2) inches (51 mm) of mulch, rock, or soil, or a solid shield to minimize the possibility of human contact."

"With this usage, any issues you have with sanitation are only in your head and not based in fact. “
An insult! I guess you MUST be factually correct.

"If you want to sound smart about grey water, read the plethora info here: Web Link Otherwise, feel free to invent issues that in reality are not issues at all."

Oh, “sound smart”, but not “be smart”. Sorry, but I think I’ll just BE SMART.

"We just pump to soakers or into a watering can.”
Ah, yes. I see. If you use a pump, then you need a permit, unless it is a washing machine. Regardless, according to the state law previously mentioned, the "...discharge point of any graywater irrigation or disposal field shall be covered by at least (2) inches (51 mm) of mulch, rock, or soil, or a solid shield to minimize the possibility of human contact.” Since I’m sure your soakers are not two inches underground, you are violating the law. And… what do you do with the watering can? Pour on plants ABOVE GROUND, right? That is also against the law.

It seems that you are uneducated on this subject. Perhaps you should do some research into the law and find out how else you are breaking the law?

I presume that you will cease your greywater utilization until you have come into compliance? To do anything else would be unethical and immoral, besides breaking the law.

Oh please. You're making such vast assumptions. First people were spraying it in the air(we certainly shut that down didn't we) Now for the rest.
Yes, we use a sump pump to put the water from tub into into a larger container which gravity feeds our buried soakers. No permit needed as verified my the city. Yes, we have a discharge, sort of: buried soakers... seems to fit the requirement though again, the city ensured me no problem if I also pour it from a watering can. Hmm, logically dismantled that issue as well.


You cherry picked permit based installed systems and left out any exceptions as well. Anyway, we're talking about the bucket brigade. The stuff they city and water district encourage people to do.
There is NO prohibition to using such water as I described above. Report it so the city and the rest of us can all have a chuckle.
You're obviously not afraid to be wrong, try to not be so afraid of new ideas as well.

I'm not getting into it with the Bickerson's above but wanted to add I also recycle my household water. I've been discharging it under redwood mulch so good to know I'm not in any violation. No issues with the city or anyone else, yard looks great. I agree that all new construction should look at water recycling systems, even if they are simple ones. The water savings as reported are very real! 42% reduction for me last billing cycle and I never feel like I'm rationing. It's all good

Matt, I'm glad that you are following the law, unlike many "water recyclers" in this community. There's that unsanitary and rude citizen above that refuses to follow the law.

She's so ridiculous. She said that it's allowed, because the city told her she didn't need a permit. Well, honey, you don't need a permit to rob a bank, yet that's against the law. I feel sorry for your neighbors. Hopefully no kids or elderly who would take the brunt of the bacteria you are "sharing".