Since 2004, the keystone of Broomfield’s water conservation efforts has been its water reuse system. This system, which is managed and operated by the City and County, provides treated wastewater to a total of approximately 940 acres of irrigated parks in the city and an additional 1,500 acres of non-city owned areas. However, up until now there has not existed a means for residents to participate in water reuse at the individual scale. Broomfield’s greywater ordinance, passed on September 14th, 2021, allows for just that.
Greywater includes water discharged from bathroom and laundry-room sinks, bathtubs, showers, and laundry machines. Greywater does not include water discharged from toilets, urinals, kitchen sinks, dishwashers, or non-laundry utility sinks (this type of wastewater is commonly referred to as “blackwater”). Installing a greywater treatment system in your home is a great way to lower your water bill and help our community conserve valuable water resources!
How to get started
Broomfield residents are authorized to reuse greywater in two ways: outdoor irrigation and indoor toilet and urinal flushing. A laundry to landscape (or L2L) greywater system is a relatively simple system that uses greywater from your laundry machine to irrigate multiple plants or a mulch basin. In addition to L2L, residents have the option to retrofit their plumbing to install a whole house greywater system which diverts greywater to your home’s bathroom fixtures for flushing. Either option is available to new or existing single-family, multi-family, or commercial buildings.
We encourage anyone interested in installing either type of system to refer to our 7 steps for installing and operating any greywater system.
Rebates
Starting in 2022 laundry to landscape systems may qualify for a $200 rebate! Rebates are awarded to Broomfield water customers on a first come, first served basis, dependent on available funds.