AB 2601: Building standards: residential property: graywater.
- Session Year: 2015-2016
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2016-02-19
The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit the building standard to the California Building Standards Commission for approval and adoption.
Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to propose the adoption, amendment, or repeal of building standards to the commission relating to hotels, motels, lodging houses, apartment houses, and dwellings, and the buildings and structures accessory thereto, except as specified. Existing law requires the department to adopt and submit to the commission for approval building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater, as defined, systems for indoor and outdoor uses.
This bill would require the department, on or after January 1, 2017, to adopt and submit to the commission for approval amendments to the building standards adopted pursuant to these provisions that require that all new single-family and duplex residential dwelling units include specified components to allow the separate discharge of graywater for direct irrigation and that all new single-family residential dwelling units include a segregated building drain for lavatories, showers, and bathtubs to allow for future installation of a distributed graywater system.
(a)For the purposes of this section, graywater means untreated wastewater that has not been contaminated by any toilet discharge, has not been affected by infectious, contaminated, or unhealthy bodily wastes, and does not present a threat from contamination by unhealthful processing, manufacturing, or operating wastes. Graywater includes wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines, and laundry tubs, but does not include wastewater from kitchen sinks or dishwashers.
(b)Notwithstanding Chapter 22 (commencing with Section 14875) of Division 7 of the Water Code, at the next triennial building standards rulemaking cycle that commences on or after January 1, 2009, the department shall adopt and submit for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 building standards for the construction, installation, and alteration of graywater systems for indoor and outdoor uses.
(c)In adopting building standards under this section, the department shall do all of the following:
(1)Convene and consult a stakeholders group that includes members with expertise in public health, water quality, geology or soils, residential plumbing, home building, and environmental stewardship.
(2)Ensure protection of water quality in accordance with applicable provisions of state and federal water quality law.
(3)Consider existing research available on the environmental consequences to soil and groundwater of short-term and long-term graywater use for irrigation purposes, including, but not limited to, research sponsored by the Water Environment Research Foundation.
(4)Consider graywater use impacts on human health.
(5)Consider the circumstances under which the use of in-home graywater treatment systems is recommended.
(6)Consider the use and regulation of graywater in other jurisdictions within the United States and in other nations.
(d)The department may revise and update the standards adopted under this section at any time, and the department shall reconsider these standards at the next triennial rulemaking that commences after their adoption.
(e)The approval by the California Building Standards Commission of the standards for graywater systems adopted under this section shall terminate the authority of the Department of Water Resources to adopt and update standards for the installation, construction, and alteration of graywater systems in residential buildings pursuant to Chapter 22 (commencing with Section 14875) of Division 7 of the Water Code.
(f)On or after January 1, 2017, the department shall adopt and submit for approval pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part 2.5 amendments to the building standards adopted pursuant to this section that require the following:
(1)That all new single-family and duplex residential dwelling units include the following to allow the separate discharge of graywater for direct irrigation:
(A)Either a separate multiple pipe outlet or a diverter valve.
(B)A stub-out installation on hookups for clothes washing machines.
(2)That all new single-family residential dwelling units include a building drain for lavatories, showers, and bathtubs, segregated from drains for all other plumbing fixtures and connected a minimum of three feet beyond the limits of the foundations, to allow for future installation of a distributed graywater system.
|
Date
|
Status
|
|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2016 | Introduced. To print. |
| Feb 21, 2016 | From printer. May be heard in committee March 22. |
| Feb 22, 2016 | Read first time. |
| Mar 10, 2016 | Referred to Com. on H. & C.D. |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):