An attractive, basement finishing minneapolis functional outdoor living area can be one of the finest features of a home, enhancing its appearance, increasing livability, and bringing pleasure to those who use the space. A pharmacist in Chicago built one of the first LEED Platinum certified homes in 2009. The house earned 115 LEED certification points for improvements like a solar photovoltaic array, a gray water recycling system and a geothermal heat pump to provide additional energy. Some regions of the country even have their own municipal gray water systems. Barkey, Allen V. "Recycling Gray Water for Home Gardens" University of Massachusetts Department of Soil and Soil Sciences.