The San Diego City Council has voted to go ahead with a scheduled plan to explore recycling wastewater into drinking water, despite objections from Mayor Jerry Sanders. Sanders vetoed the city's water reuse plan last month, because he said it was too expensive and that toilet to tap proposals are politically unpopular. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
The tide may be turning in the battle at San Diego City Hall over whether to recycle wastewater to drinking water standards. Virtually everyone who addressed the city council was in favor of water reclamation or potable reuse -- not just environmentalists, but also the Taxpayers' Association.
Lani Lutar of the Taxpayers cited a neighboring county that has attracted a lot of help with its reclamation plans.
Lutar: Orange County was recently selected to receive over $3.8 million annually over 23 years for operation of their new water reuse system . They've also received over $30 million in state grants for their efforts.
The city council voted 5-to-3 to override the mayor's veto of water recycling. Council President Scott Peters was conciliatory in his remarks.
Peters: I want to just say to the mayor that I hope we can work together despite our difference on this partially issue, to at least come to understanding as to how we can investigate this with the public, how we might see how other cities have done this that is cost effective. I think there's a lot we can learn from other places.
The city's water reuse study, accepted last year, suggests a one-year water recycling demonstration project to begin next year.
Alison St John, KPBS News.
