§ 86.167. Residential use of graywater.

(a)

A residential graywater system may only be used:

(1)

Around the foundation of new housing to minimize foundation movement or cracking;

(2)

For gardening;

(3)

For composting; or

(4)

For landscaping at the private residence.

(b)

The graywater system must not create a nuisance or damage the quality of surface water or groundwater.

(c)

Residential use of graywater must comply with the following:

(1)

Graywater usage is limited to less than 400 gallons each day;

(2)

The graywater originates from the private residence on which it is being used;

(3)

The graywater system is designed to ensure that 100 percent of the graywater will be diverted to the City of San Marcos wastewater collection system or an approved on-site sewage facility (OSSF) during periods of non-use of the graywater system and the discharge from the graywater system must enter the wastewater collection system through an approved backflow prevention device;

(4)

The graywater is stored in tanks and the tanks:

a.

Are clearly labeled as nonpotable water;

b.

Must restrict access, especially to children;

c.

Eliminate habitat for mosquitoes and other vectors;

d.

Are readily accessible for cleaning and maintenance and are able to be cleaned;

e.

Meet the structural requirements of 30 TAC § 210.25(i) (relating to Special Design Criteria for Reclaimed Water Systems); and

f.

Have a lint trap installed inline prior to the tank.

(5)

The graywater system uses piping that meets the piping requirement of 30 TAC § 210.25;

(6)

The graywater is applied at a rate that:

a.

Will not result in ponding or pooling; or

b.

Will not cause runoff across the property lines or onto any paved surface; and

(7)

The graywater is not disposed of using a spray distribution system.

(d)

The installer of the graywater system must advise the owner of basic operating and maintenance procedures including any effects it may have on an OSSF system if the residence is so equipped.

(e)

Homeowners who have been disposing wastewater from residential clothes-washing machines, otherwise known as laundry graywater, directly onto the ground prior to January 6, 2005, may continue disposing under the following conditions:

(1)

The disposal area must not create a public health nuisance.

(2)

Surface ponding must not occur in the disposal area.

(3)

The disposal area must support plant growth or be sodded with vegetative cover.

(4)

The disposal area must have limited access and use by residents and pets.

(5)

Laundry graywater that has been in contact with human or animal waste must not be disposed onto the ground surface.

(6)

Laundry graywater must not be disposed to an area where the soil is wet.

(7)

A lint trap must be affixed to the end of the discharge line.

(Ord. No. 2010-39, § 1, 8-3-10)