New mandates in California to cut water use are being felt at construction sites, but there may be a new budding solution. According to an article in Bizjournals, builders are finding sources of reclaimed water, or ‘greywater’, to use as a replacement.
Water is necessary at construction sites to reduce dust in the air, making work more manageable. The water being sprayed at these sites was potable at some point in time, but those days are long gone. While ‘greywater’ is an alternative to the water crisis facing California, there’s downsides to using it. It adds some expense for the builder, as it is harder to access than potable water. Builders see this cost as an investment for the future, and are caking it in to expenses that are unavoidable.
Another disadvantage of greywater is the limited amount of time that it will be seen as a solution. While it is more acceptable to be using than potable water, there are regulators who are beginning to discourage its use as well. Builders are trying to spray as little as possible, while still keeping dust from being an issue. This is a problem that isn’t going anywhere, and builders will have to learn to adapt, even if it means tougher working conditions in the future. If that means finding ways to work with (and live with) less water, they are willing to make the adjustments.
