COUNTYWIDE : Landscaper Warned on ‘Gray Water’ Use
A Ventura County landscaper who said he was trying to conserve water has been warned by authorities to stop using “gray water” from washing machines to irrigate plants.
Walter Barrows has illegally dumped raw sewage onto the ground and possibly into Rincon Creek, said Sheldon Klain, a code enforcement officer with the Ventura County Building and Planning Department.
Barrows has until May 1 to remove pipes that empty gray water onto his property, but the landscaper said Friday he will fight the county mandate.
Barrows, whose home and office are on 11 acres in rural Ventura County less than a mile from the Santa Barbara County line, noted that the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has approved the use of gray water--used water from indoor sources, such as dishwashers, bathtubs or washing machines.
Santa Barbara County allows the use of gray water as long as it is dispersed through underground pipes, officials said.
Gray water could transmit bacterial and viral diseases that can cause serious and sometimes fatal illness, such as hepatitis A and salmonella, said Bob Williamson, a supervisor with the Ventura County Environmental Health Department.
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