Gray-water workshops in L.A. teach DIYers how to recycle household water, capture rain

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Rainwater captured at home as well as the wastewater from laundry machines, bathtubs and bathroom sinks hold enormous potential for reducing California’s freshwater use. The question is: How exactly can homeowners tap into these alternative water resources?

This weekend, the Silver Lake nonprofit architectural center Materials & Applications will host two do-it-yourself workshops. On Saturday, in conjunction with L.A.-based Greywater Corps, homeowners can attend a Laundry to Landscape workshop that begins with a 90-minute tutorial in the pros and cons of gray water, the legal issues, soil and health concerns, and types of gray-water systems. The talk is followed by 3 1/2 hours of hands-on experience installing a laundry-to-landscape drip irrigation line.

On Sunday, the Beyond the 50 Gallon Barrel rainwater harvesting workshop will show homeowners how to catch larger amounts of rain from their roofs. The workshop will provide information on where to buy the tanks, how to plumb them and where to situate them to make use of the water.

The Laundry to Landscape workshop costs $50 to $65; attendance is limited to 20 participants. Beyond the 50 Gallon Barrel costs $35 to $50; attendance is limited to 30. Reservations are required.

‘Our goal is to teach the standards to DIY people that aren’t irrigation or rain-gutter pros,’ said Jenna Didier, who is co-director of Materials & Applications with her husband, Oliver Hess. ‘The workshops are for homeowners and business owners who want to take advantage of free water resources.’

1619 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles; www.emanate.org

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-- Susan Carpenter