Gray water permit details
To permit or not permit? That's often the question with retrofit residential graywater installations. Gray water is legal in California per Appendix G of the California Plumbing Code, but getting a permit can be difficult.
The permit route: Los Angeles residents will need to submit plans to the city's Department of Building and Safety ( www.ladbs.org), then have those plans approved by the L.A. County Department of Health Services (ladhs.org). The process is so daunting that the health department usually approves fewer than 10 systems each year, and most are for new construction. Residents in other areas should check with the equivalent departments in their city and county.
The guerrilla way: No fines or imprisonment will ensue from a non-permitted system in Los Angeles, though if a complaint were registered, Building and Safety could make you remove the system and restore your plumbing to its original configuration.
Resources: www.oasisdesign.net,
www.greywaterguerrillas.com.
