Society of Environmental JournalistsOctober 20, 2012

Recycling: It is just the right thing to do!

West Basin Municipal Water District

Coastal Los Angeles

Definition of Terms

•POTABLE: Your drinking water

•NONPOTABLE: Irrigation/industrial

•INDIRECT: Purified sewer water into groundwater or reservoir before pipes

•DIRECT: Purified sewer water in your pipes

Talk Provided by West Basin

•

•Not ordinary water district

•Started conservation & recycling over decade ago & Industry leader in both

•Wholesale imported &recycled water provider to 1 millionpeople in 17 cities enoughfill Rose Bowl 850 times each year

5 Customer Commitments

1. Water Reliability2. Water Quality3. Sound Financial and Resource Management4.Customer Service 5. Environmental Stewardship

Have some good news and some bad news!

Old Water Industry Saying….

Good News….

You are drinking purified sewer water!

Old Water Saying….

Bad News….

We are going to run out!

Old Water Saying….

All water is reused

Unplanned reuse going on around world & in U.S. (Colorado River, Mississippi River, etc.)

Purity of recycled water matched to its use

It is not important where the water came from, but what is done to it to purify or treat it

Water industry can purify any water source, actually faster & better than Mother Nature

We can easily make water that is too pure to drink

Reusing water is environmentally good and is the right thing to do

Basic Reuse Facts

1962 LA Montebello Groundwater Recharge*

1970’s Orange County WD’s Water Factory 21 *

1990’s West Basin’s facility’s 5 types of designer waters*

2008 Orange County WD’s new Groundwater Replenishment System

*Public probably not aware of reuse

Some CA Reuse Indirect Potable Success Stories

• Only public water agency in world that makes 5 different types “designer” waters from sewer water

• Irrigation water

• Cooling tower water

• High Pressure Boiler Feed Water

• Low Pressure Boiler Feed Water

• Seawater Intrusion Barrier and Groundwater Replenishment Water

• Since 1995 have produced 130 billion gallons, serve 370 sites

West Basin’s Program Unique Recycling Program

• 120 miles of purple pipe; current (pink), proposed pipe system (blue)

• Mix of customers: Chevron, bp, Exxon Mobile, Goodyear, Honda Sports Center, Cal State Dominquez Hills, Honda & Toyota office buildings, power plant, fire stations, many schools, cities, parks, golf courses, etc.

West Basin’s System & Customers

• Must build & constantly expand purification plant & purple piping system as add new customers

• Must meet water quality requirements to keep many customers happy

• Great for new developments, harder to retrofit old areas

• Groundwater replenishment easy compared to providing other 4 types of water

Direct Non-potable Recycling Is Challenging

•Expanding indirect potable reuse• Purifying sewer water &

putting in aquifers or reservoirs

•Socal leader in this – West Basin MWD & Orange County WD•OCWD helped Singapore and Australia get started•Based on OC and West Basin success, indirect potable projects starting again in LA and SD

Future of Water Reuse: More Indirect Potable Reuse

•Moving toward direct potable•Need direct potable to reach large volume recycling & add drinking water•Four things we must do:

• Get CA legislation changed to not have purified sewer water as “waste”

• Need improved online water quality instruments for “real time” testing

• Develop a store, test and release system

• More public outreach/education

Future of Water Reuse: Moving Toward Direct Potable

• We have the purification technology, we need to educate the public

•People do not know about water, where it comes from, that future supplies are challenged, why we need for reuse, etc.

•Older projects just came on line with no public outreach or knowledge (Water Factory 21 in OC, Montebello LA & others)

•Several newer projects stopped by public in SD, LA, Dublin, CA, Redwood City, CA, Australia (Toowoomba, Queensland)

Future of Water Reuse: Outreach Is the Key

• New projects must be open and transparent•Orange County Water District & West Basin are successful U.S. outreach models

• Focus on to leaders • Need face-to-face talks• Show alternatives, why reuse best• Have long list of benefits• Ask for written support• Proactive, seek out minorities, media

& environmental groups• Have great water quality data &

messages• Have list of health & medical

supporters• Have people “taste” the water

How To Do Outreach Right

• Need national water and water reuse education campaign

•Need to have capability to bottle recycled drinking water for education & tasting purposes (Had to use Singapore’s New Water bottles to sell the Groundwater Replenishment System in OC)

•More stories about purification plants, need for indirect, direct potable reuse

•Environmental groups should be more active in educating public about need for indirect and direct potable reuse

Need More Outreach Help

•Conservation, ocean desal & sewer water reuse are new sources of water, of theses, currently can only drink ocean desal water

•Direct drinking of sewer water will happen

•Drinking ocean water will increase

•Need more water quality research, i.e. pharmaceuticals

•Need national push on reuse & national leadership on water policy

•For now, water industry will continue to be driving force of more reuse

Some Big Picture Thoughts: What’s Ahead?