Lancaster once again at forefront of sustainability
Lancaster, California is adding recycle-ready plumbing to its already solar-ready requirement for new construction.
Starting in 2015, all new Lancaster residential construction will be required to have recycle-ready plumbing, bringing the city’s goal of turning Lancaster into a net-zero city closer. Built-in water conservation is increasingly seen as an important issue, particularly in Western California where drought has pushed the need to conserve water to a higher level.
Municipalities and conservation groups utilize brochure printers in their attempts to inform the public of ways to save water, as well as money and energy.
Systems that take gray water in the home and recycle it for non-potable uses have the potential to save considerable amounts of fresh water. Over 80% of water use in the home is for non-potable purposes. Companies such as Nexus eWater can retrieve and reuse two out of every three gallons of that gray water.
According to Ralph Petroff, of Nexus eWater, recycling water from sinks, laundry, and baths can reduce total water use in a home by approximately a third. In addition to saving water, heat can be retrieves from the gray water, which can then be used by the water heater.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, energy for heating water accounts for between 14 and 25 percent of a typical homes energy bill, and retrieving heat from gray water can save 75 percent of the energy.
Starting in 2015, all new Lancaster residential construction will be required to have recycle-ready plumbing, bringing the city’s goal of turning Lancaster into a net-zero city closer. Built-in water conservation is increasingly seen as an important issue, particularly in Western California where drought has pushed the need to conserve water to a higher level.
Municipalities and conservation groups utilize brochure printers in their attempts to inform the public of ways to save water, as well as money and energy.
Systems that take gray water in the home and recycle it for non-potable uses have the potential to save considerable amounts of fresh water. Over 80% of water use in the home is for non-potable purposes. Companies such as Nexus eWater can retrieve and reuse two out of every three gallons of that gray water.
According to Ralph Petroff, of Nexus eWater, recycling water from sinks, laundry, and baths can reduce total water use in a home by approximately a third. In addition to saving water, heat can be retrieves from the gray water, which can then be used by the water heater.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, energy for heating water accounts for between 14 and 25 percent of a typical homes energy bill, and retrieving heat from gray water can save 75 percent of the energy.