Oceanside dusts off its greywater permit process

By Promise Yee

OCEANSIDE — To help reach the 25 percent state mandated water cutbacks, Councilman Chuck Lowery asked city staff to dust off the greywater permit process at Wednesday’s city council meeting.

Household greywater systems allow residents to divert household water that goes down shower and sink drains onto irrigation of ornamental landscaping

“It seems like something we can use right now,” Lowery said.

City rules have been in place for several years that require a $232 permit fee, and spell out how to divert water and meet health requirements set by the California Plumbing Code.

For one, greywater systems irrigate landscaping below the ground. This protects people from direct contact with greywater. It also eliminates irrigation over spray and runoff.

Greywater cannot be used to water fruit trees or vegetables.

Presently, systems are limited to sink and shower water runoff, including kitchen sinks if food waste is not a part of the runoff.

Diverting water runoff from a home washing machine is simpler. Since it does not involve modifying existing systems or waterline uses, it can be done without a city permit.

Lowery said most washing machines use 25 gallons of water a load. Diverting that water to landscaping would reduce household water use and lessen the amount of water that goes through the wastewater system.

Francesco Dorigo, CEO of Advanced Water Recycling, said greywater systems have the potential to reduce household water use by 50 percent. He has a demonstration system set up in his Carlsbad home that diverts all used household water.

“We used 32 units of water on average per month,” Dorigo said. “Now we’re taking just as many showers and using 8 to 10 units at most.”

“(Greywater systems) are very safe and have many advantages.”

He added with most people’s water use already cut back as far as possible, technology is the answer to further reduction.

Dorigo and fellow greywater systems experts at the meeting urged the City see the where the food they are eating grew, Ross said.

The Los Angeles-based developer recently mailed invitations to Carlsbad residents, inviting them to attend one of nine small community gatherings — held mornings, afternoons and evenings over three days — to share and confirm the takeaway from myriad meetings with about 4,000 residents, stakeholders and community groups.

“What we learned is that Carlsbad loves open space and being outside,” Bryce Ross, vice president of acquisitions and development, said at an April 30 gathering.

More trails, the health of the adjacent Agua Hedionda Lagoon, a place to spend time with family and friends in an outdoor environment and maintaining the strawberry fields and coastal agriculture are also important, he said.

On the commercial end, Ross said residents indicated they want quality retail stores and restaurants, a state-of-the-art movie theater and multiple dining options with lagoon views.

Armed with that information, Caruso bought an additional 151 acres of currently unused and inaccessible property from owner San Diego Gas & Electric Co.

Approximately 85 percent of the total land purchase will be dedicated open space that will include about three miles of low-impact walking trails and picnic areas, Ross said.

“This allows us to do something important for the community in a responsive and passive way at zero cost to the taxpayer,” Ross said.

“We would love to see those power lines go underground but it is so far out of our control,” Ross said in response to one resident’s question about the fate of the utility poles.

The commercial component will be on 50 acres adjacent to I-5, with buildings backed to the freeway to avoid building a large wall and temper the noise. None will exceed the 35foot height limit.

Tenants will include a mix of local, regional and national merchants and restaurants.

Ross said residents indicated they support a high-end fashion anchor, such as Bloomingdales or Nordstrom, with the latter preferred by 80 percent of the people.

“I can’t make any promises,” Ross said. “But if you look at some of our other projects, guess what you might get?”

One such development is The Grove, a popular upscale shopping complex in Los Angeles that earned a mention on a “Saturday Night Live” skit.

Caruso has been offering bus tours to The Grove so Carlsbad residents can use that for comparison and comments.

Ross said many indicated they want the same experience and quality.

“But that’s L.A.,” he said. “This is going to be Carlsbad. It will feel like it was meant to be here.

… We do not want to be a mall. If we look like a shopping center we have not responded to what you want.”

During the hourlong updates attendees watched a slide presentation and were asked to share their opinions about various scenarios, architecture and building styles.

Many said they would support something similar to The Forum in La Costa, but with fewer national chain stores.

They urged Ross to avoid a project that looks like the recently completed La Costa Town Square, which was described by some as “a bit underwhelming” and “a sea of confusing parking spaces.”

Council to make greywater systems a requirement in new builds, and pursue state Proposition 1 water conservation funds to help lower system installation costs for homeowners.

Before the meeting adjourned city staff was already in motion. Rick Brown, a city chief building official, contacted Stephen Bilson, owner of ReWater Systems and a pioneer in greywater systems, to talk about a city application for Proposition 1 funding.

It also means the family-owned Carlsbad Strawberry Company can continue farming the land, as it has done for more than 50 years.

“It’s a very cool plan,” owner Jimmy Ukegawa said. “It will allow us to stay for generations to come.”

Ross said Ukegawa will use about 50 acres to grow strawberries, herbs, fruits and vegetables. The only buildings on about 176 acres of the open space property will be Ukegawa’s stand and a farm-totable restaurant, where dinners can look out and

Caruso’s parking plan features limited locations — one at the lagoon conservancy and a partially below-grade structure east of the development that will be landscaped so it isn’t so obvious.

“We want to keep the parking footprint as small as possible,” Ross said, adding the goal is a park-once philosophy. A new midblock intersection for access will be added on Cannon Road, east of Paseo del Norte.

Ross said the project will be LEED certified with sustainable design that will “exceed state re-