‘Wastewater to Tap’ Could Become Reality for Californians

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2024

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

California regulators approved new rules last month to enable water suppliers to treat wastewater and redistribute it as drinking water. The state says that the new standards, which took years to craft, are the most advanced in the nation for treating wastewater and will add millions of gallons of additional drinking water to state supplies. But hurdles, including stigmas that surround what’s known as “direct potable reuse,” persist. We talk about California’s new approach to wastewater recycling and its potential to address shortages and ensure a consistent water supply in the face of increasing demand and climate challenges. Guests: Heather Cooley, director of research, Pacific Institute Sean Bothwell, executive director, California Coastkeeper Alliance Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the division of drinking water, California State Water Resources Control Board Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for Key QBD Podcasts comes from San Francisco International Airport. At SFO, you can shop,
0:06.7	dine, and unwind before your flight. Go ahead, treat yourself. Learn more about SFO restaurants and
0:12.7	shops at flysfo.com. Support for forum comes from Broadway SF, presenting Parade, the musical revival based on a true story.
0:23.1	From three-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown comes the story of Leo and Lucille Frank,
0:29.6	a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in Georgia. When Leo is accused of an
0:35.3	unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice, and devotion.
0:43.3	The riveting and gloriously hopeful parade plays the Orpheum Theater for three weeks only, May 20th through June 8th.
0:51.7	Tickets on sale now at Broadwaysf.com.
0:56.6	From KQBD in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.
1:16.9	Coming up on forum, would you drink it?
1:19.1	Water that's been flushed down the toilet and put back into drinking water pipes after being extensively monitored and treated?
1:25.9	That's how California water regulators describe the steps they approved last month
1:30.3	for turning wastewater into drinking water.
1:33.3	The standards, which took years to craft, and are the most advanced in the nation, they say,
1:38.3	would add millions of gallons of additional drinking water to state supplies.
1:42.3	We look at where we are along California's path
1:45.6	to reusing more of its wastewater.
1:48.3	Join us after this news.
1:58.9	Welcome to Forum.
2:00.4	I'm Nina Kim. California last month approved new rules for turning wastewater into drinking water. While the state has, for years, reused treated wastewater for things like irrigating crops, making snow, watering golf courses. These new rules tell water agencies what steps they need to take to send
2:19.3	treated wastewater directly back to people's faucets. So what are the steps and how soon could this
2:25.2	happen? And how much really would it add to California's water supply? We tackle all those questions
	...

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