The New York Times takes a look today at San Diego’s plans to recycle its sewage into a drinking water source. And it contrasts them with a similar project in Orange County that is about to start producing water Friday.
The Times’ Randy Archibold writes:
[T]he Orange County Water District will turn on what industry experts say is the world’s largest plant devoted to purifying sewer water to increase drinking water supplies. They and others hope it serves as a model for authorities worldwide facing persistent drought, predicted water shortages and projected growth. …
Water officials in the San Jose area announced a study of the issue in September, water managers in South Florida approved a plan in November calling for abundant use of recycled wastewater in the coming years in part to help restock drinking water supplies, and planners in Texas are giving it serious consideration.
“These types of projects you will see springing up all over the place where there are severe water shortages,” said Michael R. Markus, the general manager of the Orange County district, whose plant, which will process 70 million gallons a day, has already been visited by water managers from across the globe.
Mayor Jerry Sanders earlier this month vetoed a City Council pilot project to recycle sewage; that issue is expected to head back to the council in December.