Scott and Lisa May received state approval in mid-December 2022 to irrigate a portion of River Sol’s landscaping with greywater during the growing season.
It resolved an outstanding issue over River Sol’s use of greywater for irrigation given the home’s location above the Deschutes River.
The state Department of Environmental Quality is permitting greywater from the bathroom sinks, showers, and laundry room to be used to irrigate seven apple trees and other vegetation within about an 850-square-foot area from April through September. Wastewater from the dishwasher is considered blackwater and must be sent to the municipal sewer year-round, per DEQ requirements; and wastewater from the kitchen sink must be sent to the sewer year-round, per city of Bend requirements.
River Sol’s plumbing was reconfigured to ensure kitchen sink and dishwasher wastewater goes to the sewer line. Originally, the Mays had hoped to run all greywater from River Sol through a purifying system before use for irrigation or discharge, but they learned as the house was being plumbed that it would have to send kitchen sink and dishwasher greywater to the sewer line.
A three-way valve will allow the Mays to divert the greywater — from bathroom sinks, shower, and laundry — to irrigation during the growing season, and then easily direct it to the municipal sewer outside the growing season. Diverted greywater is filtered before being pressurized for reuse.
The area in which greywater will be reused at River Sol will be contained within a 45 millimeter liner, likely an EPDM rubber liner, according to Pete Munoz, a water resource engineer with Biohabitats who’s consulting on water resources for River Sol.
“We’re going to treat this area like a giant planter box,” Munoz said.
Greywater will be released through a bubbler-like system below the soil surface, ensuring that all the greywater used in the planter will be absorbed by the plants and contained within the designated area.
From October through March, when greywater is not being used to irrigate, a drain valve can be opened, allowing any excess rainwater to flow out of the planting area to ensure vegetation within it is not flooded.
The Mays hope to have River Sol construction completed and ready for move-in by June or July 2023.