WASTE TO WATER

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FURTHER ADVANCING the Administration’s
all-of-the-above Water Supply Strategy to
make California more resilient to hotter,
drier conditions, the State Water Resources
Control Board approved regulations that
will allow water systems to develop treatment protocols to convert wastewater into
high quality drinking water.
The board’s unanimous vote gives California the most advanced standards in the
nation for treating wastewater to such an
extent that the finished product meets or
exceeds current drinking water standards.
Known as direct potable reuse, the
process will enable water systems throughout the state to generate a climate-resilient
water source while reducing the amount
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WATER C AN ADA • M ARCH/APRIL 2024
of wastewater discharged to rivers and
the ocean. In fact, recycling water allows
water systems to add millions of litres of
additional drinking water to their supplies
over time while avoiding costlier and more
energy intensive water supplies.
“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.”
The final version of the regulations
came together over many years and
after an expert panel of 12 scientists
and engineers evaluated work by the
board’s Division of Drinking Water and
determined the standards are protective
of public health. Proposed regulations
were released to the public in July;
board staff gathered public comment
and made adjustments based on that
input. These revisions include added
flexibility for alternative treatment
techniques and clarifications about the
collaboration among partner agencies
on reuse projects.
WAT E R C A N A D A . N E T
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WASTE TO WATER

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