The new rules were passed unanimously by the State Water Resources Control Board and were mandated by a state law requiring uniform criteria for the initiative. Approval of the plan marks a big shift in public opinion on the issue, which previously sparked backlash. California’s new rules allow, but do not require, water agencies to take wastewater, treat it, and put it back into the drinking water supply. The state would join Colorado, which is the only other state in the U.S. to allow this process. This development presents a long-awaited solution for the state, which has had difficulty securing reliable sources of drinking water for its 39 million residents. Currently, recycled sewage water is mixed into aquifers or used for irrigation and other non-drinking purposes. But with the new rules, water will undergo a six-stage treatment process where debris and heavy solids (such as fecal matter) are removed, chlorine is used to kill bacteria, and additional steps are taken to make the water potable. A state water trade association hails the rule change as a positive step forward for the state in addressing the need to provide better access to clean water. “These new regulations are a tremendous step forward as we develop Pure Water Southern California, which will be one of the largest recycled water facilities in the world and benefit 19 million people in our service area,” Deven Upadhyay, Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Vice President of the WateReuse Association, said in a news release. “Today heralds a new era of water reuse, making it possible for more communities across California to benefit from an abundant, safe, resilient, and local water supply, and serving as an example to other states,” said Patricia Sinicropi, Executive Director of the WateReuse Association. The Los Angeles Times reported that it will likely take years for purification plants to be up and running.California officials have approved the state’s first standards for turning raw sewage into drinking water that will be provided to homes and businesses.
