California moving closer to direct potable reuse?

Late last year, the California State Water Resource Control Board released its final report to the California Legislature, concluding that it is feasible to produce safe, recycled drinking water in California through direct potable reuse. According to Orange County Coastkeeper and California Coastkeeper Alliance, this report paves the way for California to become more drought-resilient by investing in a local, cost-effective water supply alternative.

The new report outlines water-recycling criteria specifically for direct potable reuse, which no other state has developed so far. Currently, through indirect potable reuse, purified recycled water is used to replenish aquifers – which act as a buffer before water is pumped to the drinking water treatment facility. Direct potable reuse would allow treated water to be put into the drinking water system without the use of an environmental buffer.