Identifying the Amount of Wastewater That Is Available and Feasible to Recycle in California

As water quality monitoring and treatment technologies advance and public acceptance of water reuse broadens, water agencies have become more interested in potable water reuse as a strategy to expand their water supply portfolios. Despite efforts to set realistic goals for water reuse, uncertainties remain on what level of water reuse is feasible and the best way to allocate resources to maximize the potential for recycled water. This project will focus on California, and aims to develop a comprehensive spreadsheet and GIS databases to estimate the current and future projected volumes of municipal wastewater available to recycle under applicable constraints. The project team will use the spreadsheet and GIS data to produce a comprehensive summary, organized by California region, of findings on available treated effluent.

These deliverables will be utilized by the California State Water Resources Control Board to enable California water agencies to set realistic recycled water targets, develop potential mandates, and identify funding needs and strategies to optimize recycled water in California. Research Partner: California State Water Resources Control Board.