San Diego officials took a dramatic step to counter the droughts the city’s been facing in recent months, giving recycling experts the unanimous approval to tap into wastewater and turn it into drinking water.
“We’re at the end of the pipeline,” said City Councilman Scott Sherman, The Associated Press reported. “We have a real problem getting water down here.”
The city voted to go forward with a $2.5 billion plan to recycle wastewater, despite the “yuck factor” that industry insiders say has dogged the toilet-to-tap approach for years, AP said.
“The drought puts a finer point on why this is so necessary,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer in the AP report. “Droughts are unfortunately a way of life in California, so we have to be prepared. This helps us to control our own destiny.”
San Diego is home to 1.4 million and roughly 85 percent of its water comes from the Colorado River and from Northern California. In a 2012 survey, the San Diego County Water Authority found that almost three of four residents said to go ahead and turn wastewater into drinking water, AP reported. That’s different from a similar 2005 survey that found only one of four favored the practice.
The $2.5 billion plan will allow city officials to recycle 15 million gallons a day by 2023 and 83 million gallons a day by 2035 — about a third of the city’s water supply.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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