California Embraces Wastewater Recycling for Safe Drinking Water

California has become the second state in the US, after Colorado, to allow agencies to purify wastewater and turn it into tap water as a response to drought conditions. The State Water Resources Control Board has adopted rules that permit the direct use of treated wastewater for drinking purposes. San Diego, Los Angeles, and Santa Clara are already preparing to build water purification systems to supply drinking water to hundreds of thousands of households. Advances in water purification technology and the strain on water supply due to climate change have softened public opposition to the idea. The newly permitted system allows recycled wastewater to be brought up to drinking standards in a matter of hours and pumped directly back into pipes that supply homes, schools, and businesses with drinking water.