Edhat Staff
The California State Water Resources Control Board made a groundbreaking decision last week, allowing water companies to convert wastewater into high-quality drinking water and pump it directly into residents’ taps.
The new regulation will permit the use of treated wastewater, known as direct potable reuse (DPR), as a reliable and climate-resilient source of drinking water. This decision represents a critical development in the state’s efforts to address water supply resilience in the face of increasing water scarcity and climate change.
The board voted unanimously in favor of the new regulation, which comes nearly six years after a deadline was set in the state for adopting regulations for reusing wastewater by the end of 2023. After the rules have been finalized next year, water companies will be able to submit plans for projects to be approved by the board.
“This is an exciting development in the state’s ongoing efforts to find innovative solutions to the challenges of extreme weather driven by climate change,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Board. “On top of helping us build drought resilient water supplies, direct potable reuse offers energy savings and environmental benefits. And most importantly, these regulations ensure that the water produced is not only safe, but purer than many drinking water sources we now rely on.”
Under the newly approved regulations, at least three separate treatment processes are required before water is distributed via direct potable reuse. The treated water will also be further monitored and treated for pathogens. The regulations stipulate the use of an “ozonation process” (addition of ozone gas, an oxidant disinfectant) followed by addition of biologically activated carbon to the water. The water will then undergo a “reverse osmosis” process, in which contaminants are physically removed from the water. Finally, advanced oxidation processes, involving hydrogen peroxide or chlorine, are added to clean the water.
The new policy does not mandate water companies to distribute water via direct potable reuse, but it allows them to do so, creating the opportunity for more sustainable water sources and reducing waste discharged into sea and natural waterways.
Direct potable reuse facilities already exist in Texas, which began operating its first facility in 2013, and in Colorado, which introduced guidelines for the use of wastewater as a drinking water source earlier this year.
The state’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, released new proposals for water recycling targets in 2022, costing an estimated $27 billion by 2040, in response to growing concerns over limited water supplies and the ecological impact of wastewater discharge.
This move represents a significant step toward a more resilient and sustainable water supply in the state. While the idea of turning wastewater into drinking water has become more commonplace in recent years, California’s decision to utilize treated wastewater to meet the needs of its residents positions it as a pioneer among US states.
It’s about time.
So we’re drinking sewage now..OK. Is this process cheaper that desal? There’s no shortage of water. We’ve got plenty off the coast.
I guess we will have to wait a few years and see the new strains of illness we get.we are test monkeys.
Let’s hope we get data from Texas and Colorado before we have to try it on ourselves. I’m sure it’s possible to make the water safe. The question is, will it be done properly 100% of the time, and at what cost.
Finally. The world has been doing this for decades. Australia and Singapore in particular. In south LA County they have long recycled treated water into the aquifer and do not import Colorado River water at all. Remember ALL WATER IS RECYCLED…there is no new water. This is so much better than the grotesque and wasteful and environmentally damaging “desalination” efforts. (The only reason we use desalination is because the companies that produce that product lobby polticians and propagandize their hugely profitable efforts.)