Our Regulatory Impact & History

Recode has spent nearly two decades shifting the legal landscape for sustainable water systems. Our work is defined by three primary pillars:

  • Legislative Reform: We drafted and passed Oregon House Bill 2080, legalizing graywater reuse.

  • National Standards: We are the principal proposers for the IAPMO WE•Stand, specifically the sections on eco-sanitation and site-built composting toilets.

  • National Leadership: We chair the National Gold Ribbon Commission for urine reuse, building the first national standards for nutrient recovery.

Legalizing Graywater & Residential Water Reuse (2007–2012)

  • The Mission: Transforming "illegal" conservation into standard practice through state-level legislative reform.

  • Key Achievement: Drafted and successfully passed Oregon House Bill 2080 (2009), which legalized graywater reuse across the state.

  • Partnerships: The City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

  • Legacy: Established the first public forums and advisory committees that paved the way for legal residential graywater permits in 2012.

Setting National Standards for Eco-Sanitation (2011-Present)

  • The Mission: Replacing expensive, proprietary barriers with safe, site-built standards for composting toilets.

  • Key Achievement: Principal proposer for the IAPMO Water Efficiency Standard (WE•Stand). Successfully integrated site-built composting toilet provisions into the Uniform Plumbing Code (Appendix S) and Oregon's Reach Code.

  • Partnerships: IAPMO (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials), Oregon Building Codes Division.

  • Legacy: Removed the mandatory $20,000 NSF/ANSI 41 certification barrier for site-built systems, making ecological sanitation affordable and accessible.

Pioneering Nutrient Recovery & Urine Diversion (2015-Present)

  • The Mission: Closing the loop on the "waste" stream by treating human urine as a high-value agricultural resource.

  • Key Achievement: Initiated and chaired the National Gold Ribbon Commission, creating the first national plumbing and sanitation standards for urine reuse.

  • Partnerships: Rich Earth Institute, Nutrient Recovery Services, EAWAG (Switzerland).

  • Legacy: Launched the first retail urine-based fertilizer produced with solar energy and rainwater (2023), proving the commercial viability of nutrient recovery.

Advocacy for Water Equity & The Human Right to Water (2020-Present)

  • The Mission: Ensuring sustainable water systems are equitable and protecting the public’s access to essential utilities.

  • Key Achievement: Led a national effort during the COVID-19 pandemic to implement a moratorium on water shut-offs, now working to make these affordability protections permanent.

  • Partnerships: The People’s Water Project (Steering Committee Member).

  • Legacy: Developing web-based toolkits to combat utility privatization and promote the human right to water.