Trade Resistance Is Slowing Water Recycling Adoption

Written by:

Rudi Davis

Date:

05 Feb 2026

Share

Share via Facebook

Share via Linkedin

Share via X

Copy to clipboard

Despite advances in water recycling technology and growing concerns about water scarcity, the residential construction industry has been slow to adopt graywater recycling. According to Melissa Lubitz, Director of Business Development at Hydraloop, the biggest obstacle is not safety or performance, but reluctance among plumbers and other trades to install unfamiliar systems.

“We deal very closely with plumbers. Plumbers are set in their ways, how they plumb a home, how they install certain components,” Lubitz says. “If there’s something new that comes along, there is some hesitation. Our biggest challenge is getting to as many people as we can to educate so they’re not afraid of it.”

The Education Gap

Gray water recycling systems have received third-party certifications and comply with national plumbing codes. The technology itself is proven and available. Yet Lubitz notes that adoption is mainly limited to a small number of developments, usually those marketed as sustainable.

Lubitz’s current focus is on education rather than sales. She spends much of her time traveling across North America to explain how these systems work and address concerns about their use. “When it is a new technology and something people aren’t accustomed to, and they don’t know it really well, they’re going to shy away from it,” she says.

This hesitation creates a cycle: manufacturers struggle to scale because few projects incorporate the technology, while trades remain unfamiliar because they rarely encounter it. Lubitz says Hydraloop simplifies installation for plumbers, aiming to dispel the perception that gray water recycling is too complex or risky to adopt.

The Perception Problem

Homeowner concerns also play a role, but these are often shaped by what trades professionals communicate. While many people are aware of gray water recycling in theory, Lubitz says the idea of treating and reusing household wastewater still feels uncomfortable to some buyers.

Education, she argues, can overcome these reservations. By explaining the certifications and testing behind the technology, Lubitz finds that people become more open to the concept. However, this education is typically provided by manufacturers and a few proactive developers, rather than being part of broader industry training.

A common misconception is that gray water recycling is unsafe. In reality, Lubitz points out, multiple third-party certifications are required before a manufacturer can install these systems in homes.

The Cost of Slow Adoption

The slow pace of adoption is not just limiting environmental benefits—it is also forcing some manufacturers out of the market. Lubitz says that companies with a vision for water recycling often cannot survive the long wait for market acceptance. “A lot of these manufacturers are falling off by the wayside because they just don’t have the investment to keep going,” she says.

This results in uneven progress across different regions. In areas where municipalities or developers have invested in training tradespeople, projects move more smoothly. Where the technology is new, trades are more likely to resist, and installation can be delayed or derailed by inexperience.

The Developer Response

Some developers are tackling trade resistance directly by making gray water recycling a standard feature rather than an option. Lubitz points to Sunbridge Homes in Central Florida, where sustainability is a core principle. She also describes a Michigan developer building 50 homes, each of which must include a water-recycling device. In these cases, trades must learn to install the systems, and familiarity tends to increase quickly.

“When it’s a development, they automatically incorporate it in. The homeowner has to take it,” Lubitz explains. This approach forces trades to build competency and reduces the hesitation that comes with unfamiliarity.

The Regulatory Push

Lubitz believes that regulatory mandates may prove more effective than voluntary adoption. In parts of Southern California, new homes must be built with dual piping to support graywater recycling. “When it becomes mandated, they want homes that we call recycle-ready,” she says.

Other states are following suit. Massachusetts now requires all multi-residential buildings to include graywater recycling, and Texas has introduced a bill that offers credits to developers who install these systems. Lubitz says more states are recognizing the need to act, as water scarcity and sustainability become urgent priorities.

Emerging Solutions

To address concerns about installation complexity, Hydraloop Systems has focused on making its products easy for trades to incorporate. The company’s decentralized devices treat water from showers, baths, and laundry for reuse in toilet flushing and irrigation, reducing the need for extensive plumbing modifications.

Hydraloop has partnered with developers in Florida and other states to install systems in both single-family homes and larger multi-residential projects. Lubitz notes that these projects require significant planning and design, and adoption is gradual. “It’s right now that they’re all coming to fruition, where the wheel is starting to turn slowly,” she says.

Lubitz predicts that within three years, at least half of U.S. states will offer rebates to builders and developers who install water recycling systems. Over the long term, she expects the technology to become standard. “I think in 25 years, I think it’s just going to be automatic,” she says.

Looking Ahead

The pace at which gray water recycling becomes mainstream will depend on how quickly trades professionals become comfortable with installation and how aggressively states and municipalities update building codes to require or reward the technology. For now, the most significant barrier remains on the jobsite, not in the lab or the legislature. Overcoming trade resistance, through education, developer mandates, and regulatory support, will be key to making water recycling a routine part of residential construction.