Don’t throw out that old dish water or bath water.

It could be money in your pocket sooner rather than later as the cost of water, treating it and transporting it, continues to climb.

It’s a trend that Maple Ridge builder Kevin Fletcher has spotted as he anticipates the ongoing greening of the construction industry.

Since starting Renisary Homes a year and a half ago, Fletcher has focused on reducing the environmental footprint of the homes he builds.

Of the eight he’s put up so far, one uses geothermal heat.

Three of those eight have been fitted with an air-source heat pump, while three more have that capacity roughed in, and three have grey-water recovery systems.

It’s the latter such system that could become in great demand as municipalities start racheting down free use of the resource and moving towards a user-pay system of water consumption. All new homes in Maple Ridge for instance, have to be built to hold a future water meter.

If metering becomes mandatory, suddenly conservation is a consideration.

“I would say the growth rate that happens on that will be exponential.

“When that does occur, the people with grey-water recovery systems will see the payback.

“At this point in time, there’s no payback. It’s just basically reducing the amount of water we’re using. I guess for no other reason, it’s a moral victory.”

For the present though, the sluggish housing market means Fletcher has to temper his aim to minimize the eco-impact when he builds.

If green features such as geothermal are included and the price is the same as the house next door with a natural gas furnace – he’ll make a sale.

But if those costs are factored into the price, “then you could be pricing yourself out of the marketplace – and that’s a problem.”

But deleting those features and shaving the price is something he does only reluctantly. In a brisk market, he’d hang on and wait until a buyer came along who valued the features.

Nevertheless, Fletcher often still includes resource-saving features, making less profit on a house. All of his homes, where the municipality allows, have grey-water recovery.

And, as do all new homes, each has energy-smart windows, and in the Silver Valley area – a rainwater recovery and ground recharge system, required by the District of Maple Ridge. Toilets aren’t the low-flow six-litre-flush models but use only 4.8 litres of water.

While geo-thermal can add about $27,000 to the cost of a house, the current, low price of natural gas discourages such an investment. Fletcher estimates it would take a decade to recoup the cost of geo thermal.

But grey-water recovery makes sense now if you’re in east Maple Ridge and not hooked into Metro Vancouver water or sewer.

Such a system will reduce the water flowing into a septic field and extend its life. With less water needed, water well life also can be extended.

Fletcher wants to be as green as he can but manpower limitations (he and his son) means he can’t participate in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or the Build Green program.

“I’m the first production home in Maple Ridge with geothermal.

“Nobody in Maple Ridge is doing grey water that I know of. I’d be surprised if you find a product built in Maple Ridge or the Lower Mainland that actually specs (builds in advance of being sold) grey water.”

Reusing water

Installing a grey-water recovery system can reduce water consumption by 45 per cent.

That’s achieved by diverting water from sinks, bathtubs and showers into a reservoir where it’s filtered and chlorinated. The water is then pumped back to the toilets.

“Grey water has been used for quite some time in Europe,” says Kevin Fletcher with Renisary Homes. Even more water savings can be realized if the system is converted for watering lawns and gardens. However, maintenance is required such as changing filters.

Geothermal heat works by boring holes about 100 metres into the earth and installing a single loop that contains biodegradable antifreeze. For larger areas, coils that carry the coolant can be buried at shallower depths.

During the winter, the heat from the earth is absorbed by the coolant then transferred to the home’s interior. The process is reversed in the summer.