California approves rules for implementing direct potable reuse

The California State Water Resources Control Board voted on Tuesday to approve new regulations that will pave the way for direct potable reuse in the state. The WateReuse Association said in a press release the announcement comes following years of research, collaboration and public engagement on the issue.

Direct potable reuse is a practice that uses multiple phases of advanced water treatment technology to treat recycled wastewater to safe, purified drinking water. In direct potable reuse, the treated recycled water is released directly into a drinking water system. "Indirect potable reuse" is a process that is more common and involves the injection of treated wastewater into bodies of water such as lakes or aquifers, acting as a buffer, before its use by a public water system. The use of direct potable reuse in the sector has often been marred by the "toilet-to-tap" misnomer that has turned off elected officials to the process.