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Graywater

Graywater is wastewater collected from the drains in your home. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) controls graywater use throughout the state. ADEQ rules state that graywater use is perfectly legal in rural and urban Arizona if a short list of best practices is followed: see this brochure. No city, town or county may limit the use of gray water if the use is permitted by ADEQ (ARS §49-204) EXCEPT for the Prescott AMA (PrAMA).

In general, graywater may be applied to ornamental landscapes and trees. It may not be sprayed with sprinklers or allowed to pond on the ground, and it cannot be used on edible plants. For complete guidelines, see this brochure.

By using graywater for ornamental landscapes instead of tap water, groundwater use is reduced. However, less wastewater is collected for reuse and recharge.

Graywater rules for PrAMA cities:

Prescott: Graywater use is not permitted.

Prescott Valley: No local restrictions on graywater use, but the town discourages the practice.

Chino Valley: (inquiry in progress)

Yavapai County: No restrictions.

DAILY DROPLET

  • "Ranchers need clean water for their stock, farmers need it for their crops, every employer needs it to stay in business, and every living thing needs it for life... The law needs to be clear to protect water quality and the rights of landowners."
    Mark Udall

  • "Water is the driver of Nature."
    Leonardo da Vinci

  • "When the well is dry, we know the worth of water."
    Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac, 1746

  • "...and since flow of information is to spirit what water is to life, we'd best think about how to keep the pipes free and unclogged."
    Raphie Frank

  • "In an age when man has forgotten his origins and is blind even to his most essential needs for survival, water along with other resources has become the victim of his indifference."
    Rachel Carson

  • "We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one."
    Jacques Yves Cousteau

  • "Water is life's matter and matrix, mother and medium. There is no life without water."
    Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, 1937 Nobel Prize for Medicine

  • "Water is everywhere and in all living things; we cannot be separated from water. No water, no life. Period..."
    Robert Fulghum

  • "It's the water. Everything is driven by the water."
    Mike Thompson

  • "Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over."
    Mark Twain