Bend advisory group probes graywater use but flags limits on small lots

At a February meeting of the Bend Water Advisory Group, city building and water services staff outlined how graywater reuse works, what state rules apply and where the measure might produce meaningful water savings in Bend.

"If it's appropriately collected and handled, graywater can be used safely for flushing toilets and irrigating certain trees and plants," said Jerry, a plumbing/graywater presenter with the building division, describing Oregon’s three treatment tiers and typical uses. His presentation referenced Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) rules and the statewide alternate method (SAM) for building code compliance.

The briefing clarified three treatment categories recognized in Oregon: Type 1 (coarse-filtered or untreated graywater for subsurface irrigation), Type 2 (chemically or biologically stabilized water suitable for drip irrigation and landscape ponds) and Type 3 (disinfected reuse suitable for sprinklers or dust control). Jerry emphasized labeled purple piping, three-way valves to switch seasonal flows and the need for listed equipment and backflow protection to avoid contamination.

Dan, water conservation staff, presented local water-use data to examine conservation potential. He reported the utility’s average single-family residential…