Recycled Water
Water recycling is an important component of the San Diego region’s local
water resources. A number of agencies in San Diego continue to implement and
expand their water recycling projects. Currently, about 13,000 acre feet of
recycled water is reused within the Water Authority's service area annually.
This number is projected to increase to over 53,000 acre feet per year by 2020.
Water recycling is defined as the treatment and disinfection of municipal wastewater
to provide a water supply suitable for non-potable reuse. Non-potable reuse
is the term applied to recycled water used for non-drinking water purposes.
Examples of recycled water use range from landscape irrigation to toilet flushing
and other industrial uses. Agencies in San Diego County use recycled water to
fill lakes, ponds, and ornamental fountains; to irrigate parks, campgrounds,
golf courses, freeway medians, community greenbelts, school athletic fields,
food crops, and nursery stock; to control dust at construction sites; and to
recharge groundwater basins. Recycled water can also be used in certain industrial
processes and for flushing toilets and urinals in non-residential buildings.
As an example, the newly constructed detention facility in the Otay Mesa area
of San Diego County and PharMingen, a biotechnology firm in La Jolla, were dual-plumbed
to allow use of recycled water for toilet and urinal flushing. Under current
regulations, agencies and municipalities are allowed to dual-plumbed new buildings
for this specific use.
Currently, annual beneficial reuse within San Diego County is about 13,000
acre feet of recycled water supplementing the area’s local supplies. Approximately
69% of the recycled water is used for agriculture, landscape irrigation, and
other municipal and industrial uses; the remaining 31% is recharged into groundwater
basins.
The Authority has been a member of the WateReuse
Association since its inception in 1991. WateReuse is dedicated to increasing
the amount of recycled water to help augment  the
world's limited water resources. The organization has a broad spectrum of members
from public agencies to individuals who work in the field of water recycling
or support its use. WateReuse is recognized as one of the leading advocates
for the water recycling industry. Its objectives are to work for the adoption
of legislation and regulations allowing the safe use of recycled water; to facilitate
the development of technology to improve water recycling; to promote legislation
to increase funding for water recycling projects; and to increase public awareness
and understanding of water recycling. Recently, the San
Diego Regional Chapter of WateReuse was formed in order to further promote
recycled water use and help to address local issues and interests.
If you have further questions about the information found on these water recycling pages,
please contact Maria Mariscal in the Water Resources Dept. at the San Diego County Water Authority.
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