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Re: GBlist: Re: Greywater in NYC



Stormwater falling on the rooftops of apartment buildings is collected
in 
a stormwater drainage system which sends the stormwater into the sewers,
not generally into planted areas around the building.

Greywater use in multifamily buildings must overcome the barrier that
another poster mentioned: plumbing is designed in a system of risers. 
Recycling within an apartment is impractical because the apartment is
not a self-contained functional unit.  I think you're right that
capturing and using rainwater for non-potable uses makes more sense than
"greywater."  In new construction, the Code requires residential
buildings to install a stormwater holding tank in the basement to
prevent surges of stormwater into the sewers (NYC is primarily a
combined sewer system) and "combined sewer overflow" at the wastewater
treatment plant.  In new construction it makes sense to drop the holding
tank, install some form of rainwater collection system on the roof and
use the rainwater for toilet flushing of other non-potable uses.  Such a
system could also be retrofit by repiping work on the risers serving the
toilets, but I have not heard of anyone doing that here.

Warren
-- 
Warren C. Liebold
Director of Conservation
New York City Department of Environmental Protection 
wliebold@pppmail.nyser.net
wliebold@waonline.com
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