Countywide : Water Forecast Sees Wave of Recycling

The volume of treated waste water delivered to Orange County farms, businesses and homes will reach unprecedented levels this decade, according to a survey released Friday by the State Water Conservation Coalition.

“What this survey really is, is a glimpse into our own future,” said William Mills, general manager of the Orange County Water District. “We believe that in Orange County our future additional needs for water can be mostly met by recycled water.”

Officials said the county already is the largest user of recycled water in California, and like the rest of the state, its potable water resources have been decimated by six years of drought.

To fight the drought, the county has been developing reclamation projects to help replace potable water used in some agricultural, industrial and residential capacities with treated municipal sewage.

“People are looking at Orange County as a leader and example in water reclamation,” said John Morris, Metropolitan Water District board member and chairman of the task force which authored the survey. The survey examines water supplies statewide and the potential impact of recycled water.

About 20% of water consumption in the county comes from the supply of recycled water used in farming, industrial capacities, and landscaping in some businesses, parks and residences, Mills said. That figure could double by the end of the decade.

Reclaimed water is appealing because the county could have a reliable local supply that would not be subject to battles over water rights, is cheaper than desalination and is possibly more reliable than imported water.

“These (recycling) projects make a lot of sense,” he said, “because it is close to where the water is going. You don’t need big dams and canals to get it anywhere.”

In southern Orange County, about 90% of the water supply is imported from the Colorado River and elsewhere. In northern Orange County, about 70% of water is drawn from an underground water table.

Last month, the $33-million Green Acres project was put into operation, providing 7.5 million acre-feet of recycled water annually to some parks, schools, golf courses and other areas of Fountain Valley, Santa Ana and Costa Mesa.

Friday’s water conference convened officials from water districts throughout the state, who have planned similarly ambitious projects.