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California Takes Big Step To Boost Use Of Purified Sewage Water To Combat Drought
Mehul Patel, operations director for Orange County's wastewater recycling plant, explains how reverse osmosis works. It's the most important purification step in the water recycling process.
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Erin Stone
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LAist
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Topline:
California has taken a big step towards boosting how much sewage water local governments can purify and reuse for drinking — a process known as water recycling. On Tuesday, the state proposed draft regulations to expand recycling by introducing new purification standards and processes.
Why now: California law currently doesn’t allow cities to put recycled wastewater directly into municipal water distribution systems. Instead, cities are required to first inject that water underground into an aquifer, where further, natural filtration occurs.
What’s proposed: These new regulations would allow putting recycled water directly into the local water system, allowing more cities to recycle water that don’t happen to have an underground basin to store water, or don’t have enough space in groundwater basins because of past pollution, which is the case in L.A.
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Why it matters: The climate crisis is driving longer and more extreme droughts, pushing our already overstretched water supplies to the brink. Recycling more water for drinking is one way Southland cities are working to lessen reliance on imported water from the Colorado River and northern California.
The backstory: Since 1918, California water agencies have used recycled water that’s not purified to drinking standards to create artificial ponds and irrigate places like parks and medians. In recent decades, technology has allowed us to purify that water so it’s safe to drink. From Long Beach to San Bernardino, Fountain Valley to Santa Monica, Southern California cities are already recycling more water than anywhere in else in the state. L.A. plans to recycle all of its wastewater by 2035.
What's next: The State Water Board will hear feedback on the regulations and plans to consider adoption of final regulations before the end of the year. See current recycled water projects in the state here.
Go deeper:
- Southern California Has A Plan To Ease The Colorado River Crisis. And It Starts Right Under Your Feet
- I Drank Recycled Sewage Water To Get A Taste Of SoCal’s Water Future
- As Climate Crisis Worsens Drought, Local Water Supplies Are Needed. Southern California Cities Can Lead The Way
- Where Does The Water We Drink, Shower And Flush With Come From?
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