Column:

Recycled drinking water gives new meaning to bottoms up!

The San Francisco Examiner – 12/2/08

Bu Vicki Godal, Examiner staff

As Californians, we know that we live in a desert magically transformed into an oasis via billions of gallons of water over the last hundred years, right? So, as we continue to use our water for those emerald green lawns and golf courses, tropical flower gardens and swimming pools, do you ever wonder if you should be worried about running out of water? After all, according to the United Nations, today, a billion people worldwide don't have clean drinking water. Here in the southwestern United States, drought has left the Colorado River Basin (where we get our water here in LA) nearly half empty. By 2025, the UN predicts that 2/3 of the world population could face serious water shortages. But there is a workable and quite sustainable alternative water source that could prove to be at least part of the solution to our thirsty state, purified potty water.

Indirect potable reuse is a process that purifies waste water to recharge reservoirs. Also known as "toilet to tap" or " sewer to sink", El Paso, Texas and Fairfax County, Virginia are already reusing waste water incorporating this process. Miami-Dade County has earmarked $350 million dollars to begin waste water to drinking water recycling operations in 2013. Although LA and San Diego have been considering the process for several years, Orange County has clearly emerged as the Southern California leader in the development of waste water to drinking water purification.

Since 1976, the Orange County Water Department through its Water Factory 21 Direct Injection Project, has been injecting highly treated recycled water into the aquifer to prevent salt water intrusion, while augmenting the potable ground water supply. The primary usage of this water was non-consumable for use in irrigation, toilet flushing, construction, manufacturing or artificial lakes, for instance. In fact, until recently only Namibia in Africa was actually using the process to create drinking water.

To protect the public health and safety, the US Environmental Protection Agency regulates many aspects of wastewater treatment and drinking water quality. The majority of states in the US have established guidelines for the use of recycled water. In 2004, the EPA developed "Guidelines for Water Reuse," which contains a summary of state requirements and guidelines for the treatment and uses of recycled water. State and Federal regulatory oversight has successfully provided a framework to ensure the safety of the many water recycling projects that have been developed in the United States.

Recycled water can satisfy water demands, as long as it is adequately treated. For human consumption of the water, more treatment is required. Last January, Orange County launched its $490 million water purification process to begin creating drinkable water from waste water. The Orange County Groundwater Replenishment Project uses reclaimed wastewater to recharge the drinking water aquifer with a more advanced treatment of wastewater using a three prong water purification process which includes micro-filtration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide that treat the water to very high levels that meet state and federal drinking water standards before the highly treated water is returned to the groundwater basin. In the basin, the treated water blends with other waters and is buffered with natural minerals before it enters the local drinking water supply.

The water produced out of the GWR System is not similar to other recycled water. Because the treated water meets and exceeds all federal and California state drinking water standards, it is the highest quality water of all sources in Orange County. The water has already been treated twice by the Orange County Sanitation District before it hits the Groundwater Replenishment process. Other water systems in this country don't treat wastewater to this high level of quality. However, we Southern Californians are resistant.

In 2000, Los Angeles voted down a $55 million dollar project designed to create drinking water using a similar process. San Diego did a survey last year which showed that the majority of its citizens are not into drinking water that has had human fecal matter floating in it. San Diego's citizens also rejected a pilot program last November to use recycled water to augment their city's drinking water. A similar plan failed there in 1999 as well.

So even in the face of the most critical water crisis this state has ever faced, Southern Californians are still reluctant to drink purified potty water. Perhaps we just haven't gotten thirsty enough...yet.#

http://www.examiner.com/x-1440-Los-Angeles-Green-Life-Examiner~y2008m12d2-Recycled-drinking-water-gives-new-meaning-to-bottoms-up

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