Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Greywater recycling comes to Lee Vining

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

The Mono Lake Committee is one step closer to turning on the first commercial greywater project in the Eastern Sierra. As part of the Committee’s larger storefront remodel, the new greywater system will connect the public bathroom’s sink water to the surrounding landscaping potentially saving thousands of gallons of potable water each year. The irrigation is sub-surface, and when visitors and staff wash their hands, the water will drain through dedicated plumbing to underground mulch boxes. From there it will slowly seep to native trees and plants, providing critical water during the busy summer season. The system is simple, safe, gravity-fed, and fulfills multiple water uses at once. According to Regina Hirsch of Sierra Watershed Progressive, “This is a small project that can add up to big water savings when multiplied over time. Right now, this project is the fourth commercial project of its kind in the State of California.”  Curious? Stop by the Mono Lake Committee this summer to wash your hands and water the trees.

Mono Lake Committee's greywater reuse demonstration project phase 1.
Andrew from Sierra Watershed Progressive installs the new greywater plumbing beneath the Mono Lake Committee in February.
Greywater plumbing.
The new valves and flow meters that will measure the water reuse savings.
Joel and Regina at work
Joel and Regina from Sierra Watershed Progressive map out mulch box locations for the greywater reuse demonstration project at the Mono Lake Committee. Photos by Arya Degenhardt.

4 Comments

  2. Another suggestion, if you have not already done this:
    install a drip irrigation system. It’s kind of a pain to install but once it’s in place, making changes to it is very easy.
    GREAT START THOUGH!

  3. Good job!!!
    A couple comments; First I don’t know what treatment/disinfection, if any, is being provided, but bacteria, viruses, etc are found in greywater, so the irrigation should be subsurface. Disinfection is possible but not suggested or recommended. Second, drip irrigation emitters can clog with soap scum, hair, etc., just be aware of that possible problem.
    I think this is a great ides. I offer these comments in the spirit of encouragement, not criticism.

  4. Thanks for the comments. The plan for this system is to keep all the greywater sub-surface, with no possibility for direct human contact. The system will use 2 1/2 inch pipe with flow splitters with a gravity feed leading directly to underground mulch boxes. The water will be naturally treated in the boxes and seep into the ground from that point. Roots from nearby trees and plants will naturally grow toward these regions. We have been advised that it may take a season of adjustment for the plants to “find” the water source, but once they do they will be tapped in. The system has several accessible clean-outs and the mulch boxes will have to be re-mulched every couple of seasons. We will keep everyone up to date on the next phase of installation this spring.