Omaha, NE Water Use Rules: Recycled Water Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Gray water use
- Toilets and urinals only outside exempt facilities
- Banned facilities
- Medical, dental, schools, daycares (Sec. 49-2206)
- Dye requirement
- Green/blue food-grade dye, 4 ppm minimum
- Filtration
- 50-micron pre-filter; 5-micron final filter
- Carwash reclaim water
- Only for washing motor vehicles
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months (Sec. 1-10)
Summary
Omaha's plumbing code lets buildings reuse two kinds of nonpotable water, gray water and reclaimed carwash water, but only for narrow purposes. City Code Sec. 49-2206 bans gray water systems outright in medical facilities, dental offices, schools and daycares, and everywhere else confines gray water to flushing toilets and urinals. Reclaimed carwash water under Sec. 49-2255 may only wash motor vehicles.
Sec. 49-2206. - Limitations on use. Gray water systems are prohibited in all medical, dental facilities, schools and daycares. For all other occupancies, gray water systems shall only be used for flushing toilets and urinals.
Sec. 49-2255. - Limitations on use. Reclaimed tank water shall only be used for washing motor vehicles.
Sec. 49-2202. - Disinfection. Gray water shall be disinfected using one of the following methods: (a)Chlorine.(b)Ultraviolet light.(c)Ozone.(d)An alternate method as approved by the chief plumbing inspector.
Sec. 49-2201. - Conversion of gray water supply to a potable supply. In the event a gray water system failure necessitates a conversation to a potable water supply, the gray water reservoir shall be removed and a reduced pressure principal backflow preventer assembly shall be installed at the point of connection with the potable water system.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 49, Article XXII, Division 1 of the Omaha Municipal Code governs gray water reuse inside buildings. ' Before it reaches a toilet, gray water must be dyed a green or blue food-grade vegetable dye at a minimum four parts-per-million concentration (Sec. 49-2200) and disinfected by chlorine, ultraviolet light, ozone, or an alternate method the chief plumbing inspector approves (Sec. 49-2202). It must pass a 50-micron sediment pre-filter on the reservoir inlet, be treated with a de-foaming agent, and pass a final five-micron sediment filter and ten-micron carbon filter before entering the distribution system (Sec.
49-2203). Hose bibs on gray water piping are prohibited, the piping must stay independent of the potable system, and any building using gray water must install a master backflow assembly on the water service after the meter (Sec. 49-2205). If the system fails and the building needs to revert to potable water, Sec. 49-2201 requires the reservoir be removed and a reduced-pressure principal backflow preventer installed at the potable connection point. Division 3 covers a second reuse stream: reclaimed carwash water. Section 49-2255 limits that water to 'washing motor vehicles' only, and Sec.
49-2251 imposes the identical potable-conversion rule, reservoir removal plus a reduced-pressure backflow preventer, if the carwash reclamation system fails. These provisions trace to Ordinance No. 40524, adopted October 20, 2015.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 49 sets no stand-alone fine for gray water or reclaimed water violations, so enforcement falls to the Code's general penalty at Sec. 1-10: a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment up to six months, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. The permits and inspections division enforces plumbing installation compliance and can require system removal for uncorrected violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use gray water to flush toilets in an Omaha school?
Does reclaimed carwash water in Omaha have to be dyed like gray water?
What happens if an Omaha gray water system fails?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Omaha
Compare Omaha to another location·View the Nebraska water use rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.