Letter to the editor: Use of recycled water should be mandated

Please remember that the weather, as most things in nature, changes, usually in cycles.

Having a knee-jerk reaction to one of these cycles has been proven to be shortsighted. Fact, the Earth is approximately two-thirds water, California is located on the Pacific Ocean on its west boundaries, desalination plants are being developed and used along this region, there are drought-resistant plants as well as lawns, etc.

Today, property septic system(s) may be one of these solutions. All water use of a property using a septic system becomes recycled on the property, 100 percent.

Design, implementation and use of recycled water (graywater, etc.), both in commercial and residential new buildings/development, should be enforced and mandated, not optional. Property development, landscape plans should be strongly reviewed on these two subjects and enforced using both “stormwater” and “drought” guidelines. This should become a mandatory requirement as is currently state stormwater guidelines. Do not be fooled by the simple concept of “morphing.”

Just because today we are in a drought should not mean that we disregard prudent and sound state-mandated “stormwater” guidelines. Allowing a property or project to become developed that does not fulfill state “stormwater” mandated guidelines, just because we are currently in a drought period, will prove to be harmful to us all.

When it rains, and it will, the rain runoff from both commercial and residential properties goes directly into its neighbors’ streets and ocean. Focusing on current state “stormwater” guidelines is even more important today due to the possible and current drought conditions. Safety for our environment as well as our residents should be first and foremost, not profit.

Scott Carter, Leucadia