Using Greywater Legally and Effectively in Utah Landscapes

Many in Utah wonder if and how they can legally reuse household wastewater in their landscape. Sustainable Communities Professor Roslynn Brain McCann and Southeast Utah Health Department’s Environmental Health Director Orion Rogers will overview key steps to install greywater systems in Utah and how to advocate for more greywater systems at the local level. By the end of the presentation, you will be able to articulate “what is greywater,” list major aspects of Utah’s code, describe benefits and drawbacks, visualize a branched drain system, recall major best management practices, and be equipped with the skills to become a local greywater leader. Our presenter(s) Roslynn Brain McCann is a Professor and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist in the Department of Environment and Society, College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. She uses conservation theory, communication techniques, and social marketing tools to foster environmental behavior. Her childhood was spent wandering the glacial moraine, drinking spring and creek water, gathering burrs in her hair, and scaling trees of her small childhood village: Sheffield, Ontario, Canada. Orion Rogers is from an “eye blink” of a town in southeast Utah called Thompson Springs, where the dog population outnumbers the human population (40ish). He earned both his B.S. and M.S. in Geology from the University of Utah. For the past 12 years, Orion has worked in the field of environmental health and currently serves as the Environmental Health Director for the Southeast Utah Health Department.