California eyes recycled wastewater for future drinking water - KCRA Sacramento

California eyes recycled wastewater for future drinking water

California eyes unusual source for future drinking water

Updated: 12:12 PM PST Dec 18, 2023

GROVE TO 50. DEIRDRE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO SOME LOCAL WATER AGENCIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA COULD SOON BE TURNING SEWAGE WATER INTO DRINKING WATER. IT IS A CHANGE. THE STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD IS GOING TO CONSIDER THIS WEEK, BUT THE PROCESS ISN’T ACTUALLY AS NEW AS YOU MIGHT THINK. AND SOME WATER DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN PUSHING TO BE DOING THESE KINDS OF PRACTICES FOR A LONG TIME. AND ONE OF THOSE IS THE SANTA CLARA WATER VALLEY DISTRICT. AND JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS THEIR ASSISTANT OFFICER, KIRSTEN STRUVE. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. WE APPRECIATE IT. GOOD MORNING. SO IT’S A BUZZY HEADLINE THAT YOU’LL SEE A LOT WHERE PEOPLE WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, TOILET WATER, THE TAP WATER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I CAN IMAGINE THAT PROBABLY DRIVES YOU NUTS BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF STUFF THAT HAPPENS IN BETWEEN. RIGHT. AND IT DOES IT DOESN’T PROVIDE A VERY HELPFUL IMAGE FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO DRINK THIS WATER. SO WHAT REALLY HAPPENS IS THAT WATER THAT GOES DOWN THE TOILET OR THE SHOWER OR IN PEOPLE’S BUSINESSES IS TREATED AT A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. AND THERE IT IS ALREADY 98% CLEAN AND SOME OF IT GETS REUSED IN PARKS AND PLAYING FIELDS AND COOLING TOWERS, AND THE REST GETS RELEASED TO THE BAY OR THE OCEAN. AND THEN WE TAKE THIS ALREADY VERY CLEAN WATER AND USE THREE ADDITIONAL STEPS TO PURIFY IT. AT OUR SILICON VALLEY ADVANCED WATER PURIFICATION CENTER, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE USE THE WATER FOR IS JUST TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF THAT NON-POTABLE WATER GOING TO THE PARKS. UM, BUT, UH, TOMORROW’S DECISION WILL ENABLE US TO DEVELOP A PROJECT WHERE WE COULD USE IT IN THE POTABLE SUPPLY WITH SOME ADDITIONAL TREATMENT. OF COURSE, THAT’S WHAT THE REGULATIONS REQUIRE. AND IT WILL BE A REALLY IMPORTANT STEP TO ENSURE WE HAVE CLIMATE RESILIENT WATER SUPPLY IN CALIFORNIA. YEAH, BECAUSE THE THE BIG PICTURE IS WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO KEEP OUR DRINKING WATER SUPPLY GOING. AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM IN OUR STATE. THAT’S RIGHT. YEAH. IT REALLY WILL HELP, UM, TO HAVE A NEW SUPPLY OF WATER. YOU KNOW, IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE, BECAUSE IT WILL BE LOCALLY CONTROLLED AND VERY DROUGHT PROOF. AND, UM, YEAH, WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO TOMORROW’S DECISION. YOUR AGENCY HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR THIS FOR 13 YEARS. SO THIS ISN’T SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT OF LAST WEEK. I KNOW THAT’S RIGHT. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, TAKING SUCH A STEP IS, UM, WHILE IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR WATER SUPPLY, WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE PUBLIC HEALTH IS ALWAYS PROTECTED AND. THE WATER IS ALWAYS SAFE TO DRINK. SO THAT’ YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE THE REGULATORS TAKING THE TIME AND PRIORITIZING AND MAKING SURE THAT THESE REGULATIONS WILL ENABLE THE WATER SUPPLY AND KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFE. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU CAN ALREADY GET IT TO 98% CLEAN TO BE USED IN THE RECREATIONAL WAYS. WHAT’S THE EXTRA STEP THAT IT TAKES TO GET IT TO DRINKING WATER QUALITY? UM, IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL PROCESSES, BUT ONE OF THEM IS THE HEART OF IT IS CALLED REVERSE OSMOSIS. AND IT BASICALLY IS A FILTER SO SMALL THAT ONLY WATER MOLECULES PASS THROUGH AND IT’S ALREADY USED, UM, AROUND THE WORLD AND ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATIONS TO CREATE WATER. THERE. THAT’S INTERESTING. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU, KIRSTEN. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND GOOD LUCK WITH THE PROJECT. AND WE APPRECIATE YO

California eyes unusual source for future drinking water

Updated: 12:12 PM PST Dec 18, 2023

From the toilet to the tap. California is considering big changes when it comes to sourcing drinking water.This week, the State Water Resources Control Board is looking at a plan to turn recycled sewage water into potable water. Kirsten Struve is an assistant officer with the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The district relies on a state-of-the-art Advanced Water Purification Center.Struve's office has pushed for a change in regulations for more than a decade. She says the "toilet to tap water" analogy is funny but underplays the importance of sourcing water in a drought-prone state."We have been part of making regulations happen for last 13 years," Struve said. The process starts with highly treated wastewater. Struve says the water her district purifies sewage water for use in recreation, agriculture and landscaping irrigation and that the water is 98% clean.There are three additional steps to purify the water to drink. Getting it to drinking quality requires a reverse osmosis process."It's a process already being used on the International Space Station," Struve said.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

From the toilet to the tap. California is considering big changes when it comes to sourcing drinking water.

This week, the State Water Resources Control Board is looking at a plan to turn recycled sewage water into potable water.

Kirsten Struve is an assistant officer with the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The district relies on a state-of-the-art Advanced Water Purification Center.

Struve's office has pushed for a change in regulations for more than a decade. She says the "toilet to tap water" analogy is funny but underplays the importance of sourcing water in a drought-prone state.

"We have been part of making regulations happen for last 13 years," Struve said.

The process starts with highly treated wastewater. Struve says the water her district purifies sewage water for use in recreation, agriculture and landscaping irrigation and that the water is 98% clean.

There are three additional steps to purify the water to drink.

Getting it to drinking quality requires a reverse osmosis process.

"It's a process already being used on the International Space Station," Struve said.