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Washer greywater · a decision

Should you send washer water to the yard?

Laundry to landscape greywater is worth it for trees and shrubs where your state allows it: a washer drains roughly 4,200 to 6,000 gallons a year that can go under mulch instead of the sewer.

VerdictCheck rules

6,000 gal

gallons a year a standard washer drains, at 20 gallons a load and 300 loads (our arithmetic from ENERGY STAR figures)

Worth it for watering trees and shrubs where your state allows a simple washer system; check the rule first.

Worked out by Where Your Gallons Go from 8 dated sources · numbers checked 11 November 2026

The answer by situation

  • California, simple washer-to-mulch systemOften no permitNo construction permit if it meets the plumbing code's listed conditions; your city may still want notice.
  • Texas home under 400 gallons a dayNo TCEQ approvalFollow 30 TAC 210 subchapter F and no authorization is needed.
  • Washington, gravity system up to 60 gallons a dayTier 1No pump, no storage, at least 4 inches of soil or mulch; check whether your county allows it.
  • Any system with a pump, tank or cut drain pipePermit likelyCities say those need a permit, and pumped systems may need a backflow assembly.
  • Other statesCheck firstRules vary; ask your state or county health or environment agency.
A purple irrigation tube running along a house wall into a wood-chip mulch basin around a young citrus tree, ending under a small buried shield
A purple irrigation tube running along a house wall into a wood-chip mulch basin around a young citrus tree, ending under a small buried shield AI-generated picture

How much water does a washer send to the yard?

Roughly 4,200 to 6,000 gallons a year, by our arithmetic. ENERGY STAR puts a certified full-size washer at about 14 gallons a load and a standard one at 20, for a family doing about 300 loads a year. That can water a few fruit trees or a shrub bed steadily.

It does not replace irrigation for a lawn. A laundry system releases its water under mulch or soil, never through sprinklers.

Washer water a year, and the state limits it must fit
ItemGallonsNote
ENERGY STAR washer, 300 loadsabout 4,200 a year14 gal a load
Standard washer, 300 loadsabout 6,000 a year20 gal a load
Washington Tier 1 limit60 a day per systemGravity only, no storage
New Mexico, no permitunder 250 a dayNon-spray, used within 24 hours
Texas, no TCEQ authorizationunder 400 a dayMust follow 30 TAC 210 subchapter F

Source under the table: ENERGY STAR and state rules. Washer gallons are our arithmetic from ENERGY STAR's per-load figures and 300 loads; daily limits are each state's own, as cited below.

What does California require for laundry to landscape?

No construction permit when the system meets a list of conditions in the California Plumbing Code's greywater chapter. As summarized by EBMUD, they include a labeled valve that lets you switch flow between the yard and the sewer, no potable water connection, no pump other than the washer's own, and release under at least 2 inches of mulch, rock or soil with no ponding or runoff. Diaper water and water with hazardous chemicals go to the sewer.

Section numbers change between code editions, so check the current wording with your city. Systems with tanks, pumps, or cut drain plumbing generally need a permit. California also counts kitchen sinks and dishwashers as outside greywater, per EPA's summary of the state's rules.

What about Texas, Washington and other states?

Texas lets a home use under 400 gallons a day without TCEQ authorization if it follows 30 TAC 210 subchapter F, per TCEQ's homeowner guide (January 2018). Washington's Tier 1 rule allows light greywater up to 60 gallons a day, by gravity, with no storage and at least 4 inches of soil or mulch over it. New Mexico allows under 250 gallons a day without a permit, per EPA's summary of 20.7.3 NMAC.

Arizona has a general permit for small household systems; check ADEQ for its conditions. For Oregon and every other state, ask your state or county agency before building.

Watch: Laundry to Landscape Greywater Program From PasadenaWaterPower · 5:48. Plays from YouTube only when you press play. Pasadena Water and Power follows a homeowner through the city's laundry-to-landscape program, from the site visit and one-stop parts list to the finished washer line feeding fruit trees and a vegetable bed.

The utility's clip follows a homeowner from a site visit to a washer line feeding fruit trees and a vegetable bed under mulch. Check your state and city greywater rules first; the voucher it shows was for local customers only.

Is greywater safe around plants and people?

It can be, under each rule's conditions. California's washer rule and Washington's Tier 1 put it under mulch or soil, and New Mexico rules out spray irrigation; a laundry system should never spray it. Keep it off the parts of plants you eat, keep pets and children away from wet spots, and stop if it backs up or pools.

Who should install it, and what does a pump change?

A gravity laundry-to-landscape setup that uses the washer's own pump is a homeowner project in places that allow it. Tucson Water says no permit is needed to tap an existing gravity stub-out from a washer, but changing drain plumbing needs one, and any pumped irrigation system needs a reduced pressure backflow assembly, per its greywater rebate page. That assembly is a plumber's job.

Will a utility help pay for it?

A few do. Tucson Water pays 50% of qualifying costs up to $1,000 for a permanent greywater system, and Austin Water offers up to $600 for laundry to landscape, both checked 11 Nov 2026. Compare greywater with a rain barrel and drip on the yard page, and see more on water utility rebates.

When the answer flips

  • Your system needs a pump beyond the washer's own, or a tank: it likely needs a permit and, in some cities, a backflow assembly.
  • Your state is not one of those above: check your state or county agency before starting.
  • You run many diaper or bleach loads: those go to the sewer, so less water reaches the yard.
  • You want to water a lawn by spray: a simple laundry system releases under mulch, so it is the wrong tool for turf.

What to buy or ask a plumber

  • Look for a three-way diverter valve, labeled, that sends flow to the yard or the sewer.
  • Ask your city whether it wants notice or a permit for a washer-only system.
  • Ask a licensed plumber for any cut into drain plumbing or any backflow assembly.
  • Check with your water utility for a greywater rebate, workshop or parts list.

Also asked

Can laundry greywater go on a vegetable garden?

Rules differ, and each aims to keep greywater out of contact with people; water around the base of plants, not over leaves or produce, and ask your state or county before using it on a vegetable bed.

Can I store washer greywater in a barrel for later?

Usually not in a simple system. Washington's Tier 1 allows no storage, New Mexico wants greywater used within 24 hours unless treated, and Texas requires covered, labeled tanks with screens.

Is kitchen sink water greywater?

Not in California or Texas. Both leave kitchen sinks used for food out of their greywater definitions, so that water stays on the sewer.

Do I need a permit for greywater in Texas?

Not from TCEQ under 400 gallons a day if you follow its rule. Your city may have its own requirements, so check locally too.

How we reached this

State limits come from Washington's code, TCEQ's 2018 homeowner guide, and EPA's summaries of California and New Mexico rules, plus EBMUD's summary of the California code, all read 11 Nov 2026. California's code text and Arizona's and Oregon's agency rules were not available to confirm on 11 Nov 2026, so this page relies on EBMUD's summary for California, describes Arizona only in outline and leaves Oregon out. Yearly gallons are our arithmetic from ENERGY STAR per-load figures. Rebates change often.

Sources

  1. EBMUD — California Plumbing Code: Graywater (summary) · laundry-to-landscape conditions · checked 11 Nov 2026
  2. US EPA — Summary of California's Onsite Non-potable Water Reuse Rules · greywater definition, kitchen sinks excluded · checked 11 Nov 2026
  3. US EPA — Summary of New Mexico's Onsite Non-potable Water Reuse Rules · under 250 gallons a day, non-spray · checked 11 Nov 2026
  4. TCEQ — Graywater and Alternative On-Site Water, RG-536 (Jan 2018) · under 400 gallons a day; no potable connection · checked 11 Nov 2026
  5. Washington State Legislature — WAC 246-274-100 · Tier 1, 60 gallons a day, gravity, 4 inches cover · checked 11 Nov 2026
  6. ENERGY STAR — Clothes Washers · 14 vs 20 gallons a load, 300 loads · checked 11 Nov 2026
  7. City of Tucson — Gray Water System Rebate · permits, backflow, 50% up to $1,000 · checked 11 Nov 2026
  8. Austin Water — Rebates, Tools & Programs · laundry to landscape up to $600 · checked 11 Nov 2026

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