A cheap and sustainable water conservation method is the proverbial silver bullet of California’s water politics, but it is not easy finding a solution friendly to both our environment and wallets. Many experts believe that, of the methods available, wastewater recycling is California’s best way forward. One major local proponent of water recycling is the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, or IEUA. Last fall, IEUA began constructing an expanded recycling facility in Chino, San Bernardino County. Their expanded facility will be able to treat 22.5 million gallons of wastewater per day--the agency’s most ambitious recycling project yet. 

Wastewater recycling is a familiar concept to California. As far back as the 1800s, farmers utilized wastewater for growing crops. By 1910, 35 sites used recycled water for agricultural purposes, and by 1918 California adopted the first health regulations governing wastewater reuse. Nowadays, our state reuses approximately 714,000 acre-feet of water annually, or 2.3x1011 gallons. Despite conveying so much water through purple pipes, California’s recycling programs still have a great deal of room to grow. The state could potentially recycle millions more acre-feet of water each year and has set an aggressive goal of achieving 2.5 million acre feet of recycling by 2030.

The IEUA is at the forefront of expanding recycling programs. In a recent press release about their Chino facility, IEUA General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh stated “This essential project is innovative and necessary in addressing regional growth and water reliability, increasing recycled water supply, and adding drought resiliency to the region. The use of recycled water presents multiple advantages to the region: it is one of the most significant unused local water supplies; it is reliable during drought and climate change conditions; and it requires significantly less energy than imported water for deliveries.” 

IEUA officials hope the expanded plant will help the region meet water demands without drawing additional water from aquifers and surface rivers, especially during drought years. The plant’s new Liquids Treatment System will process an additional 7.5 million gallons per day (MGD). This will include infrastructure for an ultimate buildout capacity of 30 MGD with a peak flow of 60 MGD. IEUA will also construct a new solids treatment facility to replace its decommissioned predecessor in the Prado Dam’s future flood zone. 

All of the water treated at the Chino facility will undergo disinfected tertiary recycling treatment, a four step water purification process. During the process, raw wastewater pumped into the facility will be:

• Sorted during a preliminary treatment that removes large debris like rags, sticks, Styrofoam, and gravel.

• Distributed into primary treatment settling tanks where 65% of organic solids, or biosolids, are settled out of the wastewater.

• Processed through a biological nutrient removal system that removes 90% of organic material present. The organic material is consumed by microorganisms and enzymes during this secondary process.

• Piped into tertiary treatment where the water is run through a network of sand media filters. These remove 99% of the remaining total solids.

• Disinfected with sodium hypochlorite to kill any remaining pathogens, such as bacteria.

After treatment, the water will be dechlorinated and used for a variety of non-potable, or non-consumption, purposes. Although California doesn’t currently support direct potable reuse, often referred to as a “toilet to tap” approach, recycled water is often pumped into an environmental buffer like a lake or aquifer for public use, or a recharge basin for indirect potable reuse. 

For a semi-arid state like California, recycling water carries substantial benefits. Californians use the water for landscape and crop irrigation, industrial processes, recreational water features, and grey water appliances. Rather than discharging treated water into rivers, it is reinvested into our communities. Recycling water also provides relief for our strained environment. For decades, Californians have overdraft groundwater aquifers to meet rising population demands. Our ecosystems, especially wetlands, often suffer the consequences and land subsidence is a growing concern. However, some water recycling facilities practice groundwater recharge, a process that adds reclaimed water back into natural aquifers. This refills our underground reservoirs, replenishes wetland habitats, and provides a buffer against rising sea levels. 

Despite all the community and environmental benefits, water recycling has its drawbacks and challenges. The two most significant are the price of the facilities and the quality of the water. The Chino expansion project cost IEUA around 450 million dollars. Even with a 190 million dollar loan from the EPA funded through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), the project is a large investment. For cities that need to construct entirely new infrastructure for treating, storing, and delivering recycled water, the price tag can be even higher. Water quality can also be an issue. Federal laws like the Clean Water Act and state laws like California’s Title 22 regulate recycled water, but chemicals of emerging concern, such as trace pesticides and pharmaceuticals, pose a potential problem for wastewater treatment. Recycled water also tends to contain a higher salt content than normal sources and could prove disastrous for salt-sensitive habitats and crops. IEUA’s expansion project has taken these challenges into account and will produce recycled water that meets or exceeds the California standards and comply with the Santa Ana Basins’ water quality objectives.

While recycled water is not the perfect solution that California wants, it will play a key role in future water conservation efforts. Plenty of documentation confirms that global climate change amplifies California’s weather patterns. As drought years become progressively hotter and drier, groundwater will help buffer communities from the effects. Refilling our groundwater aquifers with clean, recycled water could prove a key strategy for remaining water resilient in the future. 

Ensuring the quality and safety of the water Californians drink, use, and pump is Babcock Laboratories’ expertise. We offer cutting-edge testing services for all water, wastewater, and soil needs, including Constituents of Emerging Concern (CEC)s. As a NELAP, A2LA, ANAB, and CA ELAP certified lab, Babcock is an industry leader in complete bacterial, inorganic and organic analyses. Contact Babcock Labs to set up a testing service today.