Highland Ranches

Property Owners Association

Storey County, NV

 

P.O. Box 1039

Virginia City, NV 89440

 
The Homeowners Association has used reasonable efforts to verify that all this information is correct, however it does not guarantee the accuracy of any of the information contained herein.                                  

 

TO:    STOREY COUNTY HOMEOWNERS WITH INDIVIDUAL SEPTIC SYSTEMS           

FROM:    HAROLD SWAFFORD, STOREY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

            One of the ways to conserve water is to install a "graywater" system which can help increase your water supply by letting you reuse water rather than simply disposing of it into your septic system. Graywater systems are under the jurisdiction of the Nevada State Board of Health. All water in your residence can be re-routed into a graywater system except the kitchen sink and toilet. The following are the pertinent provisions of the Nevada Administrative Code regarding graywater systems, including a diagram showing how a graywater system may be constructed. Any graywater system, whether installed as part of new construction or as a "retrofit" must be inspected and approved by the State Board of Health. Telephone number 687-6353. Ask for Joe Pollock in "Health Protection Services."

 

NAC 444.837 System utilizing graywater for underground irrigation: General requirements. (NRS 439.200,444.650)

1. Graywater may be used for underground irrigation if approved by the administrative authority.  A homeowner must obtain a permit to construct, alter or install a system that uses graywater for underground irrigation from the administrative authority before such a system may be constructed, altered or installed.

2. A system that uses graywater for underground irrigation:

(a) May be used only for a single-family dwelling.

(b) Must not be used in soils which have a percolation rate that is greater than 120 minutes per inch.

(c) Must consist of a three-way diversion valve, a holding tank for the graywater and an irrigation system.

(d) May be equipped with a pump or siphon, or may rely on gravity to cause the water to flow to the irrigation system.

(e) Must not be connected to a system for potable water.

(f) Must not result in the surfacing of any graywater.

3. A system that uses graywater for underground irrigation, or any part thereof, must not be located on a lot other than the lot which is the site of the single-family dwelling that discharges the graywater to be used in the system.

(Added to NAC by Bd. of Health by R129-98, eff. 3-25-99)

NAC 444.8372 System utilizing graywater for underground irrigation: Design criteria. (NRS 439.200,444.650)

1. An application to construct, alter or install a system that uses graywater for underground irrigation must include:

(a) Detailed plans of the system to be constructed, altered or installed;

(b) Detailed plans of the existing and proposed sewage disposal system; and

(c) Data from percolation tests conducted in accordance with NAC 444.796 and 444.7962 to 444.7968, inclusive.

2. A holding tank for graywater must:   

(a) Be watertight and constructed of solid, durable materials that are not subject to excessive corrosion or decay.

(b) Have a minimum capacity of 50 gallons.

(c) Have an overflow and an emergency drain. The overflow and emergency drain must not be equipped with a shutoff valve.

3. A three-way diversion valve, emergency drain and overflow must be permanently connected to the building drain or building sewer and must be located upstream from any septic tanks. The required size of an individual sewage disposal system must not be reduced solely because a system that uses graywater for underground irrigation is being used in conjunction with the individual sewage disposal system.

4. The piping for a system that uses graywater for underground irrigation which discharges into the holding tank or is directly connected to the building sewer must be downstream of any vented trap to protect the building from possible sewer gases.

5. The estimated discharge of a system that uses graywater for underground irrigation must be calculated based on the number of bedrooms in the building, as follows:

(a)    For the first bedroom, the estimated discharge of graywater is 80 gallons per day; and

(b)   For each additional bedroom, the estimated discharge of graywater is 40 gallons per day.

6. The absorption area for an -irrigation system that includes a system that uses graywater for underground irrigation must be calculated in accordance with the following table:

 

7. The following is a diagram of a system that uses graywater for underground irrigation:

 

 

 


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