BOSTON (SHNS) - After a statewide drought last year that fueled wildfires and severely decreased water levels in rivers and streams, plumbers were on Beacon Hill Thursday lobbying for a long overlooked bill to promote gray water recycling and ease pressure on public water systems. The water conse rvation bill has been filed every year since 2014, but plumbing groups hope the recent drought conditions might give it a lift this session. Officials from Gov. Maura Healey's administration and top lawmakers repeatedly mentioned while reckoning with droughts that climate change could make them more common. "Between August, September, October, last year there were three months without barely a drop of rain — but this would make it easier to install systems that recycle your gray water from your laundry, your hand sinks and showers. That's water that can be reused," said Peter Kelly, regional manager of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, at a lobby day on Thursday. The bill (H 922 / S 591) filed by Rep. Mark Cusack and Sen. Jamie Eldridge calls for plumbing code regulations to provide building owners with guidelines for reusing gray water for toilet flushing and irrigation. Gray water is treated water that has been already used in some capacity — for laundry, showering, or in a hand sink — and can be reused for non-potable purposes. "We all flush a massive amount of clean, treated water down the drain every day," Kelly said. Installing systems to divert gray water from sinks, showers and washing machines can be costly and require building permits, and homeowners and landlords can opt against installing a system without proper guidance. The systems vary significantly in costs, and can range between a few hundred dollars to $20,000 or more for both materials and installation depending on the size and complexity of the system and building. Homeowners who use them, however, can save on water bills and avoid water restrictions during droughts. "Gray water is the future of water preservation," said Jim Vaughan, business manager for Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 12. "Every building should have a graywater system. Residential, new builds, every house should have a gray water system." He continued, "Think of the relief on the aqueducts, the wells, the public water supply if water was collected and just used for flushing toilets and irrigation." Other legislation that plumbers are supporting this session include a Rep. Alyson Sullivan-Almeida bill to add plumbing inspectors to statewide public safety mutual aid agreements (H 2377) and a Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Sen. Joan Lovely bill to test drinking water for lead contamination in schools (H 991 / S 631). The mutual aid bill is a response to the Merrimack Valley natural gas explosions of 2018, when pressure on gas lines in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover caused fires and explosions to occur in as many as 40 homes. Under current law, a plumbing and gas inspector from another town cannot do inspections on an emergency basis, said Wayne Thomas, executive director of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Massachusetts. The bill would add plumbing inspectors to the list of civil servants who are included in the statewide public safety mutual aid agreements, and standardize the process for plumbing inspectors to respond to disasters similar to the Merrimack Valley explosions. The safe drinking water bill would require schools and day care centers to test drinking water for lead contamination and provide steps for remediation, including the installation of point of use water filters. Prior to 1995, plumbers used 50/50 solder in pipes, which were 50% lead, Thomas said. He warned that any schools built before that time likely have lead pipes, which leaks into the water. Lead can affect the brain, nervous system, and kidneys in children. "Children are the most susceptible, that's why it's important to make sure we get this done in schools and daycares," Kelly said. Asked if adding the testing and filtering for lead at every school would be expensive, Thomas replied that the filters "might be somewhat expensive" but installation would be easy for the school janitorial or plumbing staff. "There's a financial impact of anything, really, but this is going to make drinking water safe. I'm not sure why that has taken so long. It sounds like a pretty common sense bill to me," Thomas said. ...read more read less