• Gary water can be re-used in toilets in Florida.washing dishes image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
  
  Florida enforces several rules in treating and re-using gray water to reduce the amount of freshwater used daily. Gray water usage directly lowers a homeowner's monthly water bill. And because there is less water going to a treatment facility, taxpayers' money is saved as well. This is, of course, in addition to the beneficial impact on the environment caused by using less of a natural resource.
  
  

Legal Definition

• Florida defines gray water in a way that is different from some other states. In general, gray water is waste water from the home that did not have contact with any human waste and does not contain too much organic material. Therefore, gray water is waste water from these areas: showers or baths, washing machines, and sinks. In Florida, waste water from the kitchen sink is not included in this group. This is because of the amount of food waste, or organic material, that may potentially be found in the water from kitchen sinks. The organic material can cause higher bacterial growth and is seen as a public-health issue. Waste water from other sinks in the home is considered to be gray water.
  
  

Gray Water Irrigation

• Florida gray water laws dictate how gray water can be re-used. The most commonly allowed uses include irrigation of non-edible plants in the landscaping as well as water for flushing toilets in the home. Previously this was also the case in Florida. However, as of March 1, 2009, the regulations were changed, and it is now no longer permitted to use gray water for irrigating the landscape. Therefore, the only legally allowed use of gray water in Florida is for flushing the toilets in a home.
  
  

Treatment of Gray Water

• Florida enforces regulations for the treatment of gray water before being re-used for toilet flushing. The pipes used to distribute the gray water must be different from the rest of the pipes that are used for fresh water. Other parts of the regulations include the specifics of how the gray water is to be filtered, stored, disinfected, and then dyed either blue or green before it is reused. It is important to follow these requirements stringently, not only for legal purposes but also for safety reasons. Gray water can be harmful if not treated properly.