Transcript:
In Orange County, California, wastewater from people’s homes is not considered waste.
Instead of treating it and sending it to the ocean, Orange County purifies its wastewater with an additional three-step process. Each day, the county treats about 130 million gallons until it’s safe enough to drink.
Patel: “And then we take that highly treated, recycled water, and we surface-spread it in a series of lakes or ponds and then let it naturally seep or percolate down and replenish the aquifer.”
Mehul Patel is with the Orange County Water District. He says the aquifer is a key source of water for people who live in the area.
Replenishing it this way helps buffer water supplies as climate change makes droughts more frequent and severe.
Patel: “There always is going to be treated wastewater generated, so it’s a source that’s kind of drought-proof for us.”
Orange County has now been recycling its wastewater for more than a decade. And Patel says the approach could help other drought-prone regions, too.
Patel: “These projects are necessary because we can’t keep relying upon our traditional sources of water if we want to maintain the same lifestyle that we have today. … And it’s just one of the ways that we have to adapt to an ever-changing climate.”
Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media
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