The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Agronomic ratemeans the rate of application of nutrients to plants that is necessary to satisfy the nutritional requirements of the plants.
Backflow contamination eventmeans backflow into a public water system or potable water system from an uncontrolled cross connection such that the water quality no longer meets the Colorado primary drinking water regulations or presents an immediate health and/or safety risk to the public.
Backflow prevention assemblymeans any mechanical assembly installed at a water service line or at a plumbing fixture to prevent a backflow contamination event, provided that the mechanical assembly is appropriate for the identified contaminant at the cross connection and is an in-line field-testable assembly.
Backflow prevention methodmeans any method and/or non-testable device installed at a water service line or at a plumbing fixture to prevent a backflow contamination event, provided that the method or non-testable device is appropriate for the identified contaminant at the cross connection.
Base floodmeans the flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year, this 1% annual chance flood is also referred to as the 100-year flood.
Base Flood Elevation (BFE)is the elevation shown on a FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map for zones AE, AH, A1-A30, AR, AR/A, AR/AE, AR/A1-A30, AR/AH, AR/AO that indicates the water surface elevation resulting from a flood that has a 1% chance of equaling or exceeding that level in any given year.
Citymeans the City of Grand Junction, a Colorado home rule municipality.
Componentmeans a subpart of a graywater treatment works which may include multiple devices.
Cross-connectionmeans any connection that could allow any water, fluid, or gas such that the water quality could present an unacceptable health and/or safety risk to the public, to flow from any pipe, plumbing fixture, or a customer’s water system into a public water system’s distribution system or any other part of the public water system through backflow.
Designmeans the process of selecting and documenting in writing the size, calculations, site specific data, location, equipment specification and configuration of treatment components that match site characteristics and facility use.
Design flowmeans the estimated volume of graywater per unit of time for which a component or graywater treatment works is designed.
Divisionmeans the Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Energy Star (Energy Star®)means the Environmental Protection Agency's designation for energy efficient appliance as authorized by 42 U.S.C. Section
6294A. (Note: determination of whether the appliance is designated, has an IWF, and to determine the IWF, visit the Department of Energy's Energy Star certified residential clothes washers website.)
means any building, structure, or installation, or any combination thereof that uses graywater subject to a graywater control program (program), is located on one or more contiguous or adjacent properties, and is owned or operated by the same person or legal entity. Facility is synonymous with the term operation.
Floodplain (100-year)means an area adjacent to a river or other watercourse which is subject to flooding as the result of the occurrence of a 100-year flood, and is so adverse to past, current or foreseeable construction or land use as to constitute a significant hazard to public or environmental health and safety or to property or is designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). In the absence of FEMA/NFIP maps, a professional engineer shall certify the floodplain elevations.
Floodwaymeans the channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than one foot or as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or National Flood Insurance Program. In the absence of FEMA/NFIP maps, a professional engineer shall certify the floodway elevation and location.
Graywatermeans that portion of wastewater that, before being treated or combined with other wastewater, is collected from fixtures within residential, commercial, or industrial buildings or institutional facilities for the purpose of being put to beneficial uses. Sources of graywater are limited to discharges from bathroom and laundry room sinks, bathtubs, showers, and laundry machines. Graywater does not include the wastewater from toilets, urinals, kitchen sinks, dishwashers, or nonlaundry utility sinks.
Graywater control program (program)is this chapter and, as applicable, any rule(s), including implementation practices, regulation(s), standard(s) authorized by the City, and which follows the minimum requirements of this chapter and other applicable law(s), rule(s) and regulation(s).
Graywater treatment worksmeans an arrangement of devices and structures used to: (1) collect graywater from within a building or a facility; and (2) treat, neutralize, or stabilize graywater within the same building or facility to the level necessary for its authorized uses.
Indirect connectionmeans a waste pipe from a graywater treatment works that does not connect directly with the closed sewerage system, but that discharges into the closed sewerage system though an air break or air gap into a trap, fixture, receptor, or interceptor.
Irrigation areameans that area of ground consisting of soil, mulch, gravel, and plant material to which water is directly applied by a graywater subsurface irrigation system.
Laundry to landscapemeans a form of graywater treatment works designed to reuse water from a laundry machine for mulch basin subsurface irrigation.
Legally Responsible Party.(1) For a residential property, the legally responsible party is the property owner.
For a corporation, the legally responsible party is a responsible corporate officer, either:
(i) A president, secretary, treasurer, or vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy- or decision-making functions for the corporation; or
The manager of operating facilities, provided, the manager is authorized to make management decisions which govern the operation of the regulated facility including having the explicit or implicit duty of making major capital investment recommendations, and initiating and directing other comprehensive measures to assure long term environmental compliance with environmental laws and regulations; the manager can ensure that the necessary systems are established or actions taken to gather complete and accurate information for approval application requirements; and where authority to sign documents has been assigned or delegated to the manager in accordance with corporate procedures.
For a general or limited partnership or sole proprietorship, the legally responsible party is the general partner, business matters partner or the proprietor, respectively.
For a limited liability company, the responsible party shall be the manager or other authorized agent of the company and shall be a natural person.
For a municipality, State, federal, or other public agency, the legally responsible party is a principal executive officer or ranking elected official, either:
(i) The chief executive officer of the agency; or
A senior executive officer having responsibility for the overall operations of a principal geographic unit of the agency (e.g., regional administrators of EPA); or
When the entity is the State of Colorado, the Commission.
Modificationmeans the alteration or replacement of any component of a graywater treatment works that can affect the quality of the finished water, the rated capacity of a graywater treatment works, the graywater use, alters the treatment process of a graywater treatment works, or compliance with this regulation and the local graywater control program. This definition does not include normal operations and maintenance of a graywater treatment works.
Mulchmeans organic material including but not limited to leaves, prunings, straw, pulled weeds, and wood chips.
Mulch basinmeans a type of subsurface irrigation or treatment field filled with mulch or other approved permeable material of sufficient depth, length, and width to prevent ponding or runoff. A mulch basin may include a basin around a tree, a trough along a row of plants, or other shapes necessary for irrigation.
Municipal sewer systemmeans the publicly owned wastewater collection and treatment system operated by the City of Grand Junction.
On-site wastewater treatment system (OWTS)means an absorption system of any size or flow or a system or facility for treating, neutralizing, stabilizing, or dispersing sewage generated in the vicinity, which system is not a part of or connected to a sewage treatment works.
Percolation testmeans a subsurface soil test at the depth of a proposed irrigation area to determine the water absorption capability of the soil, the results of which are normally expressed as the rate at which one inch of water is absorbed. The rate is expressed in minutes per inch.
Potable water systemmeans a system for the provision of water to the public for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances, where such system has less than 15 service connections or regularly serves less than an average of at least 25 people daily at least 60 days per year.
Public nuisancemeans the unreasonable, unwarranted and/or unlawful use of property, which causes inconvenience or damage to others, including to an individual or to the general public.
Public water systemmeans a system for the provision of water to the public for human consumption through pipes or other constructed conveyances if such system has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves an average of at least 25 individuals daily at least 60 days per year. A public water system is either a community water system or a noncommunity water system. Such term does not include any special irrigation district. Such term includes:
(1) Any collection, treatment, storage, and distribution facilities under control of the supplier of such system and used primarily in connection with such system.
Any collection or pretreatment storage facilities not under such control, which are used primarily in connection with such system.
Regulation No. 86means Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Water Quality Control Commission Regulation No. 86 – Graywater Control Regulation, 5 CCR
1002-86.
means a detached or attached structure, arranged and designed as a single-family residential unit intended to be occupied by not more than one family and that has separate water and sewer services connections from other dwelling units.
Site evaluationmeans an analysis of soil and site conditions for a graywater subsurface irrigation or mulch basin area to achieve requirements in design criteria for subsurface irrigation systems, including mulch basins that are further defined in Attachment A
included as an attachment to this title, graywater design criteria.
means layers in the soil column differentiated by changes in texture, color, redoximorphic features, bedrock, structure, consistence, and any other characteristic that affects water movement.
Soil profile test pitmeans a trench or other excavation used for access to evaluate the soil horizons for properties influencing effluent movement, bedrock, evidence of seasonal high ground water, and other information to be used in locating and designing a graywater irrigation area.
Soil structuremeans the naturally occurring combination or arrangement of primary soil particles into secondary units or peds; secondary units are characterized because of shape, size class, and grade (degree of distinctness).
Statemeans the State of Colorado or any of its agencies.
State watersmeans any and all surface and subsurface waters which are contained in or flow in or through this State, but does not include waters in sewage systems, waters in treatment works of disposal systems, waters in potable water distribution systems, and all water withdrawn for use until use and treatment have been completed.
Subsurface irrigationmeans a discharge of graywater into soil a minimum of two inches and no deeper than 12 inches below the finished grade.
WaterSensemeans the Environmental Protection Agency's designation for water efficient fixtures or an analogous successor program.
(Ord. 5316, 4/1/2026; Ord. 5094, 9-21-22)