Prepared in Cooperation with the Southern California Council on Environment and Development (SCCED) Water Task Force by Jim Stewart and Neal Shapiro

Summary: Why We Should Recycle Water

• Needed: To meet current and projected water demand, the SCAG region needs to fully exploit the locally-available potential for water reclamation.
• Available: Water from existing water reclamation plants is readily available for recycling, but is not being fully used. Additional facilities can be built.
• Safe: Recycled water is highly treated and disinfected, making it safe for all permitted uses, which are strictly regulated by state and local authorities.
• Economical: Recycled water can be provided to users at less cost than imported water, plus it enhances the local economy by using a local resource.
• Environmental: Recycled water is environmentally sound, reducing depletion of watersheds, saving energy and reducing air pollution.
• Useful: Recycled water is used for many applications, including industrial processes, landscape irrigation, groundwater recharge, seawater intrusion barriers, environmental enhancement and recreation.
• Acceptable: Government bodies, businesses and organizations have endorsed the use of recycled water.
• Doable: Water recycling is prevalent throughout the world. In Southern California, a number of steps can help increase the use of recycled water.

The Need for Water Recycling in Southern California

About 75% of the state's rain falls north of Sacramento, but 80% of the net water demand is south of Sacramento. Therefore 6 million acre-feet per year (AFY) must be moved from Northern California to Central and Southern California, plus another 5 million AFY are brought in from the Colorado River, but still the demand is not met. The State Department of Water Resources predicts statewide shortfalls of up to 4.1 million AFY by the year 2010.

The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) serves 85% of the population of the SCAG region plus the County of San Diego. There are some concerns about these projections, such as possible reductions in Colorado River water as more of the Central Arizona Project comes on-line, and possible further reductions in the SWP from environmental concerns in the Delta.

Potential Sources for Recycled Water

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation identified the total wastewater production in the SCAG region at over 1.6 million AFY in 1990, increasing to 2.5 million AFY in 2010. They believe all of this water could eventually be reclaimed (which could eliminate the need for any imports from the SWP, for example).

However, only a fraction of the wastewater is currently being recycled. For example, L.A. County Sanitation Districts process about 564,000 AFY, nearly all of which could be treated for recycling. In 1994-5, only 9% or 54,000 AFY was actively recycled, the rest sent to the ocean.

Recycled Water Is Safe

Since state authorities already require tertiary treatment of wastewater before it can be discharged to local waterways, effluent from the water reclamation plants in the SCAG area is safe and suitable for all purposes (except direct human consumption), including swimming, irrigation, and groundwater recharge. It is virtually micro-organism-free, containing less than the detection limit of bacteria.

Most of the population of Orange County drinks groundwater recharged by the Santa Ana River, whose primary dry weather flow is from the treatment plants in San Bernardino and Riverside. In fact, the Santa Ana Watershed recycles 43% of its wastewater (nearly 200,000 AFY) through groundwater recharge or direct irrigation.

Recycled Water is Economical

Because of subsidies from federal and state governments and from the MWD, recycled water is usually sold to consumers at a discount, ranging from 10% to 85% of the cost of imported potable water. A recycled water customer also does not have to pay the sewer charge, which is about $1.35 per 749 gallons in Los Angeles.

Local water reclamation projects provide local jobs and retain money, some of which would otherwise be used for purchase of foreign oil and out-of-state coal to produce electricity for pumping imported water. The L.A. County Sanitation Districts estimates that the 54,000 AFY it recycled in 1994-5 saved over 160 million kWhr of electricity (worth $6 million).

Recycled Water is Environmental

It takes about 30 times less energy to distribute local recycled water than to pump it in from Northern California. Every 100,000 AFY recycled avoids the release of 228 tons of pollutants that otherwise would have been caused by burning oil to produce the electricity for pumping.

Uses for Recycled Water

A California 1993 statewide survey of water reuse reported the following uses:

• Groundwater Recharge — 185,000 AFY (48%)
• Agriculture — 80,000 AFY (21%)
• Landscaping & Parks — 47,000 AFY (12%)
• Environmental Uses — 29,000 AFY (8%)
• Industry — 7,000 AFY (2%)
• Seawater Intrusion Barriers — 7,000 AFY (2%)
• Miscellaneous — 29,000 AFY (8%)

Steps to Increase the Use of Recycled Water

1. Public policy statements by government bodies and water companies.
2. Analysis of water policies and costs and benefits to identify the best approaches to increase incentives for use of recycled water.
3. Expansion of integrated resources planning, as the MWD is already doing.
4. Education of business and industry on the urgency, safety and cost savings of recycling water.
5. Education of the public on the urgency, safety and cost savings of recycling water, especially for groundwater recharge.
6. Education and incentives to encourage the installation of home gray water recycling systems.
7. Increased funds to expand recycling projects, especially using the output of the region's Water Reclamation Plants.
8. Integration of the agencies and the public into an improved regulatory review process.
9. Involve the public in all stages of project development through citizen advisory committees, public workshops, hearings and other review processes.
10. Revision of the State Department of Health regulations which currently unrealistically limit the use of tertiary treated wastewater especially for groundwater recharge.

Endorsements of the Use of Recycled Water

Government bodies endorsing the use of recycled water include: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, California Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Health Services, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Orange County Grand Jury, L.A. Department of Water and Power, L.A. Department of Public Works, Orange County Water District, L.A. County Sanitation Districts, West Basin Metropolitan Water District, Central Basin Metropolitan Water District.

Businesses endorsing or actively using recycled water include: Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Chevron Oil, Mobil Oil, ARCO, UNOCAL, Tuftex Carpet Dying, Robertson Ready Mix, Water Gardens Commercial Complex in Santa Monica.

Organizations endorsing the use of recycled water include: California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health, WateReuse Association of California, Sierra Club, Heal the Bay, Mono Lake Committee, Surfrider Foundation, Audubon Society, TreePeople.