IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
State regulations for converting wastewater into drinking water have taken effect.
Those guidelines, which were approved in December by the State Water Resources Control Board, make it possible for state water systems to invest in treatment plants that will recycle millions of gallons of wastewater every day, according to a statement on the board’s website.
The regulations, which were approved unanimously, began Oct. 1.
“The launch of these regulations affirms California is a global leader in finding innovative solutions to build a more water-resilient future,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, water board chair, in the statement. “Direct potable reuse will provide millions of Californians with greater water security.”
Direct potable reuse is the the treatment and distribution of water without using an environmental buffer, like a lake or a stream.
The water systems will generate sources of climate-resilient water, reduce the amount of wastewater dumped into rivers and oceans, and create millions of gallons of recycled drinking water, according to the statement.
