08
Senate
Bill 463
By:
Senators Pearson of the 51st, Tolleson of the 20th, Murphy of the 27th, Schaefer
of the 50th and Rogers of the 21st
AS
PASSED
AN
ACT
To
amend Chapter 3 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to county boards of health, so as to provide certain conditions for use of
residential gray water; to provide for regulations; to provide for penalties; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Chapter
3 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to county
boards of health, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"31-3-5.2.
(a)
As used in this Code section, the term 'gray water' means waste water discharged
from residential lavatories, bathtubs, showers, clothes washers, and laundry
trays.
(b)
Private residential direct reuse of gray water shall be lawful if the following
conditions are met:
(1)
Gray water originating from the residence shall be used and contained within the
property boundary for household gardening, composting, lawn watering, or
landscape irrigation;
(2)
Gray water shall not be used for irrigation of food plants;
(3)
The gray water shall not contain hazardous chemicals derived from activities
such as cleaning car parts, washing greasy or oily rags, or disposing of waste
solutions from home photo labs or similar hobbyist or home occupational
activities;
(4)
The application of gray water shall be managed to minimize standing water on the
surface;
(5)
The application of gray water shall be outside of a floodway;
(6)
The gray water shall not contain water used to wash diapers or similarly soiled
or infectious garments unless the gray water is disinfected before irrigation;
and
(7)
The gray water shall be applied only by hand watering using garden watering cans
or similar hand-held containers.
(c)
County boards of health shall adopt the provisions of subsection (b) of this
Code section by regulation. Local governing bodies shall be authorized to
punish violations of said regulations as local ordinance violations, provided
that the penalty for each such violation shall not exceed a $100.00
fine."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.