Cali Bill Aims To Get Consumers Trying Recycled Water

A California lawmaker is trying to expand the state water supply with a bill that would change the way the water sector approaches storm and recycled water.

California Assemblyman Rich Gordon “said he wants to focus on capturing stormwater before it flows to the ocean and introducing Californians’ taste buds to highly purified recycled water,” The San Mateo Daily Journal reported.

Gordon is trying to help utilities battle the problem of public perception, one hurdle to the acceptance of recycled water. His legislation is sponsored by the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Orange County Sanitation District, according to Gordon’s office.

The bill would allow utilities “to bottle small batches of recycled water and give it to consumers for educational purposes. Recycled water producers are already able to provide samples on site at treatment facilities, but don’t have a way to reach the broader public,” the report said, citing Gordon.

OCWD President Cathy Green, from the water district, weighed in on the bill.

"Each year, billions of gallons of treated wastewater that would otherwise be discharged to the Pacific Ocean can be captured, reused and serve as a safe and reliable source of water to help fulfill California's ever-growing demand," she said. "Thousands of stakeholders have toured our facility, the Groundwater Replenishment System, to learn about this advanced purification technology first-hand and taste the ultra-pure water. We have witnessed that tasting and seeing is believing, and we support legislation to bottle this type of water."

Gordon discussed the “yuck” factor.

“Candidly, some people would like to drink recycled water, but most people would say ‘yuck.’ That’s their first response, even though this water is perfectly fine. It’s foreign to people; by giving people an opportunity to try it and letting them taste it, I think we’ll educate people and potentially open people up to additional uses of recycled water,” he said.

The idea of direct potable reuse in California is already becoming accepted among public officials.

“The idea of turning wastewater into drinking water is gaining momentum among government bodies in Southern California and across the nation, but regulators question how and when the concept will become palatable to the widespread public,” the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported.

To read more about water reuse visit Water Online’s Water Reuse Solutions Center.