Drought-Prone California Approves New Rules for Turning Wastewater into Drinking Water California regulators have recently approved new rules that will allow water agencies to recycle wastewater and put it back into the pipes that carry drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses. This move is seen as a significant step for a state that has struggled for decades to secure reliable sources of drinking water for its more than 39 million residents. In the past, similar projects have faced public backlash, but this decision signals a shift in public opinion. The state has experienced multiple extreme droughts, including the driest three-year period ever recorded, which has left reservoirs at dangerously low levels. California has been using recycled wastewater for various purposes for decades. For example, the Ontario Reign minor league hockey team has used it to make ice, the Soda Springs Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe has used it to make snow, and farmers in the Central Valley use it to water their crops. However, this is the first time that recycled wastewater will be used directly for drinking water. Orange County already operates a large water purification system that recycles wastewater and refills underground aquifers with it. The water then mingles with the groundwater for months before being pumped up for drinking water. Under the new rules, water agencies in California will have the option to treat wastewater and return it to the drinking water system. California will be the second state, after Colorado, to allow this practice. The development of these rules took more than 10 years and involved multiple reviews by independent panels of scientists. The California Water Resources Control Board was required by state law to approve these regulations by the end of 2020. The vote in favor of the new rules was celebrated by some of the state’s largest water agencies, which have plans to build large-scale water recycling plants in the coming years. For instance, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 19 million people, aims to produce up to 150 million gallons (nearly 570 million liters) per day of both direct and indirect recycled water. Meanwhile, a project in San Diego is striving to account for nearly half of the city’s water by 2035. However, water agencies will need public support to successfully implement these projects. They will need to convince customers that recycled water is safe to drink. The new rules in California require wastewater to be treated for all pathogens and viruses, even if they are not present in the wastewater itself. This is different from regular water treatment rules, which only require treatment for known pathogens. The treatment process is so stringent that it removes all the minerals that give fresh drinking water its taste, so they need to be added back at the end of the process. Regulators believe the quality of the recycled water is on par with or even better than regular drinking water. Building these treatment facilities is expensive and time-consuming, which means that initially, only bigger, well-funded cities will be able to consider this option. For example, in San Jose, officials have opened the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center for public tours to showcase the high-tech process that ensures the water is clean. Currently, the water is used for purposes like irrigating parks and playing fields, but there are plans to use it for drinking water in the future. The state’s ongoing drought and the potential impact of climate change make drought-resistant water supplies like this necessary in order to meet the demands of communities. The chair of the Water Resources Control Board, Joaquin Esquivel, pointed out that most people are already indirectly consuming recycled water. This is because most wastewater treatment plants put their treated water back into rivers and streams, which then flow downstream to other towns for drinking purposes. Esquivel emphasized that all water is recycled, and the new rules establish standards, science, and monitoring to ensure the purity of the recycled water. In conclusion, California’s approval of new rules allowing wastewater to be recycled into drinking water is a significant step for the state’s ongoing efforts to secure reliable water sources. This decision reflects a shift in public opinion and will enable water agencies to consider new projects that were previously hindered. The stringent treatment requirements ensure the safety and quality of the recycled water. While building the necessary treatment facilities will be a challenge, larger cities are expected to lead the way in implementing this practice. Overall, the use of recycled wastewater for drinking water purposes is a practical solution to address California’s water scarcity and secure a sustainable water supply for the future.