The first and only legally approved, UPC-certified graywater diverter device for residential use, which can help to save up to 25% or more on household water use, is now available.
GreenSmart Sustainable Concept’s wireless remote-controlled graywater diverter makes it easy to take water from showers to use for irrigation with just the touch of a button. It redirects graywater drainage headed to the sewer from showers, bathtubs, washing machines, and utility sinks and sends it directly into the garden, or to a graywater collection/irrigation system. When needed, another push of a button diverts the flow back to the sewer system.
Prior to GreenSmart’s device being awarded UPC certification in March, no legally approved diverter existed for contractors to use to meet building mandates for residential graywater-ready systems, which since 2010 have been required in Tucson, Ariz., and are on the books to become law in California in 2018. The graywater diverter is now available online at Greensmartsc.com and coming soon to leading plumbing retailers such as Ferguson.
The current drought conditions facing communities across the U.S. has forced many municipalities to begin fining residents and mandating usage cuts. “I don’t think consumers realize how extreme a 25% water cut will impact their lives,” says GreenSmart founder Garry Sato. “An average shower and each load of laundry uses approximately 25 gallons of water, and a bath as much as 50. This device allows one to reuse the water that runs while your shower is getting hot, while brushing your teeth, or wasted after a bath.”
But even builders itching to try out a graywater recycling or rainwater harvesting system on their next project may find they need to wait a bit longer: In many states, the practices are still not allowed by code. In fact, only seven states currently allow the use of both conservation methods, although some local jurisdictions allow them.
