On Tuesday, California's State Water Board adopted a new method to augment the water supply. It plans to add recycled wastewater to reservoirs with something called "indirect potable reuse." 

Randy Bernard is the Recycled Water Unit Chief with the California Water Resources Control Board. He joined Take Two's A Martinez to explain the new system for recycling wastewater.

Before this week, the state's Water Board could only add wastewater into the ground, where it is filtered through aquifers.  

"This new move is to augment our potable water, which means taking municipal wastewater and mixing that with surface water plants," Bernard said. 

The state is already taking on more drought-resilient measures, and this augmentation is just another addition to the effort. 

"It will provide more sustainable and drought-sustainable options for our state. We won't have to import so much water from Northern California," Bernard said. 

Regarding the "ick" factor of drinking recycled water, Bernard thinks the public will have peace of mind with outreach programs and education from the state. 

"The treatment processes are very high-level, very advanced. Our job is to be protective of public health," Bernard said.