On the heels of the wettest weather in years, Santa Barbara County has begun easing restrictions on residential graywater systems, sending the message that long-term conservation is a way of life in Southern California.
Starting now, 57,000 residents living in the unincorporated Goleta Valley can legally pipe graywater from their bathroom sinks, showers, and tubs onto their landscaping without having to apply for a building permit, get an inspection or pay fees, said Massoud Abolhoda, county building and safety manager.
“They still have to comply with all the requirements written into the plumbing code,” he cautioned. “It’s not an easy thing to do.”