The city of San Diego is the first city in California to embark on a method of water recycling called “potable reuse.” KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
San Diego city council has approved a water rate hike that includes about a dollar a month to pay for a “demonstration potable reuse project.”
Virginia is the only state in the nation that currently uses a similar approach to recycling water.
Orange County launched a $480 million water reclamation project earlier this year, but the recycled water is added to the region’s groundwater basin. San Diego’s plan is to add the reclaimed water to its reservoirs.
The California Sate Health Department requires San Diego to pay for the demonstration project before giving the city the go-ahead for a full scale “potable reuse” project.
The demonstration project will cost almost $12 million. More than one million of that will be spent on educating the public about the benefits of potable reuse.
Alison St John, KPBS news.