Topic: Wastewater

Overview

Wastewater

Water containing wastes – aka wastewater – from residential, commercial and industrial processes requires treatment to remove pollutants prior to discharge. After treatment, the water is suitable for nonconsumption (nonpotable) and even potable use.

In California, water recycling is a critical component of the state’s efforts to use water supplies more efficiently. The state presently recycling about 669,000 acre-feet of water per year and has the potential to reuse an additional two million acre-feet per year. 

Non-potable uses include:

  • landscape and crop irrigation
  • stream and wetlands enhancement
  • industrial processes
  • recreational lakes, fountains and decorative ponds
  •  toilet flushing and gray water applications
  •  as a barrier to protect groundwater supplies from seawater intrusion
  • wetland habitat creation, restoration, and maintenance
  • groundwater recharge
Aquafornia news EurekAlert!

Wastewater plants produce twice as much greenhouse gases as officially estimated

Wastewater plants emit about twice as much greenhouse gas as previously believed, according to Princeton engineers who used a mobile lab to check plants across the country. In an article published Oct. 8 in the journal Nature Water, a research team led by professors Mark Zondlo and Z. Jason Ren, in collaboration with Prof. Francesca Hopkins of UC-Riverside, reported that collectively sewer plants produced 1.9 times the nitrous oxide gas estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency and 2.4 times the methane. Based on the new measurements, wastewater plants contribute 2.5 percent of U.S. methane emissions and 8.1 percent of nitrous oxide. 

Other wastewater treatment news:

Aquafornia news Voice of San Diego

Farmers say supervisor’s sewage efforts cost them their livelihood

For more than two decades, small-scale farmers and community gardeners have grown fresh fruits and vegetables, native plants, flowers and other produce at the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden, a 20-acre complex of publicly owned farmland adjacent to the Tijuana River. … All of that came to a halt last week when representatives from the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County, which manages the garden, issued mass eviction notices to all 217 community gardeners and farmers. One reason for the sudden eviction, the district’s executive director said, was a series of pollution warning signs erected six weeks ago at several locations throughout the river valley, including at the garden itself.

Aquafornia news FOX 5/KUSI (San Diego)

Tijuana River Valley Community Garden faces closure

San Diego County’s largest community garden, the Tijuana River Valley Community Garden, is set to close after more than two decades, displacing hundreds of local gardeners and small farmers. The Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego County has decided to end its lease to operate the garden, citing ongoing concerns with sewage issues and potential flooding. This decision will return the site to the county, leaving the future of the garden uncertain.

Related article:

Aquafornia news Palo Alto Online (Calif.)

New horizontal levee aims to enrich Baylands habitat in Palo Alto

… The city [Palo Alto] broke ground in September on Bay Area’s first horizontal levee, a gently sloped expanse next to the Regional Water Quality Control Plant that officials hope to finish by next spring. Once completed, landscaped levee will incline from the tide toward Embarcadero Road. The area will be filled with marsh plants that will be treated with treated wastewater from the wastewater plant through an underground pipe. The levee will serve as yet another filtering system for the effluent as it goes from the treatment plant to the Bay.

Other water treatment news:

Aquafornia news WaterWorld

How the government shutdown affects water and wastewater utilities

… The shutdown may result in regulatory delays that included new or pending permits, guidance documents and approvals. State-submitted programs like NPDES permits and TMDLS won’t be acted on during shutdowns. … Routine EPA inspections for drinking water systems, wastewater facilities or stormwater compliance are paused until a funding bill is passed. Enforcement only continues if it is tied to imminent threats to human health or property. No new EPA grants for water infrastructure upgrades, stormwater resilience or research partnerships will be awarded during the shutdown. 

Other shutdown water impact news:

Aquafornia news Mexico Business News

Baja California unveils water regeneration, reuse plan

Baja California has launched a landmark water regeneration project designed to treat and reuse up to 720L/s of wastewater, aiming to boost water security, reduce reliance on the Colorado River, and strengthen binational cooperation with the United States. … The initiative is part of the agreements under the Minute 328 for the Sanitation of the Tijuana River. … The plan includes the rehabilitation of the Ing. Arturo Herrera and La Morita Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs), as well as the construction of a conveyance system to channel treated water into a tributary leading to the Abelardo L. Rodríguez Dam.

Other wastewater treatment news:

Aquafornia news Bay City News (Berkeley, Calif.)

San Mateo unveils $597M wastewater plant, largest infrastructure project in city history

After more than five years of construction, San Mateo’s upgraded Wastewater Treatment Plant was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. It is the largest infrastructure project in San Mateo’s history, and developers say it’s one of the most sustainable wastewater treatment facilities in the country. … The plant is part of San Mateo’s $1 billion Clean Water Program, an initiative that was launched in 2015 in response to a cease and desist order the city received mandating sewer system improvements to prevent overflow into the San Francisco Bay. 

Aquafornia news Northern California Public Media (Rohnert Park, Calif.)

Windsor unites with neighboring sanitation district to achieve 100% recycling of treated wastewater

The Town of Windsor has reached a major milestone: 100% of the community’s wastewater is now recycled and reused. … [B]ecause the storage is now jointly managed [with Sonoma Water], Windsor avoids having to discharge wastewater into Mark West Creek and the Russian River Basin. Instead, they now provide fully treated recycled water for irrigation of parks, public spaces and golf courses, as well as water for power generation at the Geysers. 

Other water agency news:

Aquafornia news Voice of San Diego

City staff deflect blame away from Pure Water before San Diego’s big water rate vote

As the San Diego City Council prepares to make major water rate hikes, city staff clearly want weary councilmembers to blame the San Diego County Water Authority and not the wastewater recycling project the city is building. … On Friday, city Public Utilities staff released a new cost analysis that showed how Pure Water, a multi-billion-dollar wastewater recycling project, could produce cheaper water than what the San Diego County Water Authority provides. The city’s new Pure Water numbers are the latest jab at the Water Authority over growing water prices.

Other water management news:

Aquafornia news ABC7 (Denver, Colo.)

Colorado’s first biogas pipeline injection system pays off ahead of schedule

South Platte Renew, which serves 300,000 customers in both Littleton and Englewood, has transformed wastewater treatment into a success story in renewable energy. … The team at South Platte Renew considered how to capture the methane gas and reuse it, eventually proposing a biogas pipeline injection system in 2019. It was approved, and the $7.8 million price tag was paid for through sewer funds from Englewood and Littleton. It was the first of its kind system in the state of Colorado. … South Platte Renew has now helped other water treatment facilities in the state get their systems up and running.

Aquafornia news City of Palo Alto

News release: Palo Alto horizontal levee pilot project

Located on the shore of Harbor Marsh in the Palo Alto Baylands, the Palo Alto Horizontal Levee Pilot Project is the first horizontal levee to be built in the San Francisco Bay that beneficially reuses treated wastewater for irrigation. Construction began in September 2025. … A horizontal levee is a nature-based solution that provides many benefits over traditional levees. Their unique designs have a wide gentle slope which helps a marsh adapt as sea level rises. This one will also use treated wastewater to restore a native habitat on its slope. The process will further filter pollutants out of the treated wastewater.

Other flood infrastructure news:

Aquafornia news ABC10 (San Diego)

Concerns raised over new Tijuana River cleaning project using ozone nanobubbles

A new pilot project to clean the Tijuana River using ozone nanobubbles has sparked concerns from a UC San Diego researcher who believes the experimental technology could pose health risks to South Bay residents. The International Boundary and Water Commission launched the 60-day project on Monday, testing whether tiny ozone bubbles can help clean the polluted waterway. However, Dr. Kimberly Prather from UC San Diego is raising red flags about the untested approach. … [S]he warns that when they pop, the ozone gas gets released into the air, potentially putting more South Bay residents at risk.

Related article:

Aquafornia news KPBS (San Diego)

A rivalry over $50 million meant to clean cross-border rivers is brewing

California voters approved Proposition 4 last year. It will yield $10 billion to pay for environmental projects and programs. Of that total, $50 million is earmarked to spend on water quality projects in the polluted Tijuana River. … San Diego Supervisor Paloma Aguirre flew to Sacramento to ask the State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday for the full $50 million. … But Calexico Mayor Diana Nuricumbo said that her city is relying on its share of the $50 million to pay for upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant, which processes and cleans wastewater before discharging it into the New River. 

Other cross-border water news:

Aquafornia news The Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)

Crockett: C&H Sugar agrees to settlement on odor violations

A historic East Bay company that generated the foul stench of sewage odor, polluting a town’s air, has settled a lawsuit with Contra Costa County prosecutors for approximately $500,000, authorities said Tuesday. C&H Sugar, whose plant has been a staple in the unincorporated city of Crockett since 1906, committed the odor violations in 2022 at a wastewater treatment plant it jointly owns on Dowrelio Drive, according to a statement from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. They added that the company agreed to pay $400,000 in civil penalties and $100,000 in costs.

Aquafornia news FOX40 (Sacramento, Calif.)

Tahoe makes strides in providing clean drinking water to the community

On Wednesday, the Tahoe City Public Utility District celebrated the Grand Opening of the West Lake Tahoe Regional Water Treatment Plant. … The plant can currently deliver one million gallons of water per day and may be further expanded to reach more customers from Tahoma to Timberland. The utility district stated that the approximately $30 million project was made possible by grant funding as well as a loan from the CA State Water Resources Control Board.

Other local water infrastructure news:

Aquafornia news Voice of San Diego

Aguirre wields new powers against sewage crisis

Recently elected San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre took office in July promising to wield the full powers of her new job against the sewage crisis in the Tijuana River. … Aguirre plans to ask the county to begin work immediately on two region-wide studies approved by the Board in June. … She also will ask the Board to spend roughly $100,000 to hire a new lobbyist to educate federal lawmakers about the extent of sewage pollution in South County and build support for a comprehensive bi-national cleanup effort. 

Other Tijuana River news:

Aquafornia news USA Today

Poop in the water? Why beaches had fecal bacteria closures, warnings.

Over the holiday weekend, many people looking to cool off from the summer heat were disappointed as some beaches were closed or authorities advised against swimming because of unsafe levels of bacteria. The advisories and closures popped up across the East Coast, from Florida to Maine, along inland streams and rivers, and throughout the California coast. The culprit: fecal contamination detected in the water that presents a risk of illness. … Experts told USA TODAY that stormwater runoff and sewage overflows were among the most likely causes, both of which are exacerbated by heavy rains, flooding and warming temperatures.

Other wastewater news:

Aquafornia news Wastewater Digest

South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant completes 10 MGD expansion

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) announced the completion of a 10 million-gallon-per-day expansion at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) in San Diego. The project boosts the facility’s capacity from 25 to 35 mgd, a 40% increase aimed at reducing cross-border sewage flows from Tijuana into the Tijuana River Valley. Originally planned as a two-year project, the expansion was completed in just 100 days.

Other Tijuana River news:

Aquafornia news MEAT+POULTRY

EPA withdraws proposed wastewater treatment regulations

On Aug. 30, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin signed a final action that withdrew proposed revisions to the EPA’s Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Limitations Guidelines (ELG) for wastewater discharged by meat and poultry processing and rendering facilities. The agency determined that existing federal wastewater regulations under the Clean Water Act are effective compared to the proposed changes. Zeldin stated in his remarks how withdrawing the proposed revisions would advance the Trump Administration’s effort to lower food costs for American families and farmers.

Related article:

Publication

Layperson’s Guide to Water Recycling
Updated 2024

Layperson's Guide to Water Recycling

Cities across California and the Southwest are significantly increasing and diversifying their use of recycled wastewater as traditional water supplies grow tighter.

The 5th edition of our Layperson’s Guide to Water Recycling covers the latest trends and statistics on water reuse as a strategic defense against prolonged drought and climate change.

As Drought Shrinks the Colorado River, A SoCal Giant Seeks Help from River Partners to Fortify its Local Supply
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Metropolitan Water District's wastewater recycling project draws support from Arizona and Nevada, which hope to gain a share of Metropolitan's river supply

Metropolitan Water District's advanced water treatment demonstration plant in Carson. Momentum is building for a unique interstate deal that aims to transform wastewater from Southern California homes and business into relief for the stressed Colorado River. The collaborative effort to add resiliency to a river suffering from overuse, drought and climate change is being shaped across state lines by some of the West’s largest water agencies.  

New EPA Regional Administrator Tackles Water Needs with a Wealth of Experience and $1 Billion in Federal Funding
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Martha Guzman says surge of federal dollars offers 'greatest opportunity' to address longstanding water needs, including for tribes & disadvantaged communities in EPA Region 9

EPA Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman.Martha Guzman recalls those awful days working on water and other issues as a deputy legislative secretary for then-Gov. Jerry Brown. California was mired in a recession and the state’s finances were deep in the red. Parks were cut, schools were cut, programs were cut to try to balance a troubled state budget in what she remembers as “that terrible time.”

She now finds herself in a strikingly different position: As administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9, she has a mandate to address water challenges across California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii and $1 billion to help pay for it. It is the kind of funding, she said, that is usually spread out over a decade. Guzman called it the “absolutely greatest opportunity.”

Western Water Layperson's Guide to Groundwater Douglas E. Beeman

Water Resource Innovation, Hard-Earned Lessons and Colorado River Challenges — Western Water Year in Review
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK-Our 2019 articles spanned the gamut from groundwater sustainability and drought resiliency to collaboration and innovation

Smoke from the 2018 Camp Fire as viewed from Lake Oroville in Northern California. Innovative efforts to accelerate restoration of headwater forests and to improve a river for the benefit of both farmers and fish. Hard-earned lessons for water agencies from a string of devastating California wildfires. Efforts to drought-proof a chronically water-short region of California. And a broad debate surrounding how best to address persistent challenges facing the Colorado River. 

These were among the issues Western Water explored in 2019, and are still worth taking a look at in case you missed them.

Western Water California Water Map Gary Pitzer

Often Short of Water, California’s Southern Central Coast Builds Toward A Drought-Proof Supply
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Water agencies in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties look to seawater, recycled water to protect against water shortages

The spillway at Lake Cachuma in central Santa Barbara County. Drought in 2016 plunged its storage to about 8 percent of capacity.The southern part of California’s Central Coast from San Luis Obispo County to Ventura County, home to about 1.5 million people, is blessed with a pleasing Mediterranean climate and a picturesque terrain. Yet while its unique geography abounds in beauty, the area perpetually struggles with drought.

Indeed, while the rest of California breathed a sigh of relief with the return of wet weather after the severe drought of 2012–2016, places such as Santa Barbara still grappled with dry conditions.

Western Water California Water Map Gary Pitzer

A Study of Microplastics in San Francisco Bay Could Help Cleanup Strategies Elsewhere
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Debris from plastics and tires is showing up in Bay waters; state drafting microplastics plan for drinking water

Plastic trash and microplastics can get washed into stormwater systems that eventually empty into waterways. Blasted by sun and beaten by waves, plastic bottles and bags shed fibers and tiny flecks of microplastic debris that litter the San Francisco Bay where they can choke the marine life that inadvertently consumes it.

A collaborative effort of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, The 5 Gyre InstituteSan Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and the regulated discharger community that aims to better understand the problem and assess how to manage it in the San Francisco Bay is nearing the end of a three-year study.

Western Water California Water Map

Your Don’t-Miss Roundup of Summer Reading From Western Water

Dear Western Water reader, 

Clockwise, from top: Lake Powell, on a drought-stressed Colorado River; Subsidence-affected bridge over the Friant-Kern Canal in the San Joaquin Valley;  A homeless camp along the Sacramento River near Old Town Sacramento; Water from a desalination plant in Southern California.Summer is a good time to take a break, relax and enjoy some of the great beaches, waterways and watersheds around California and the West. We hope you’re getting a chance to do plenty of that this July.

But in the weekly sprint through work, it’s easy to miss some interesting nuggets you might want to read. So while we’re taking a publishing break to work on other water articles planned for later this year, we want to help you catch up on Western Water stories from the first half of this year that you might have missed. 

Western Water California Water Map Gary Pitzer

Can Providing Bathrooms to Homeless Protect California’s Water Quality?
WESTERN WATER IN-DEPTH: The connection between homelessness and water is gaining attention under California human right to water law and water quality concerns

A homeless camp set up along the Sacramento River near downtown Sacramento. Each day, people living on the streets and camping along waterways across California face the same struggle – finding clean drinking water and a place to wash and go to the bathroom.

Some find friendly businesses willing to help, or public restrooms and drinking water fountains. Yet for many homeless people, accessing the water and sanitation that most people take for granted remains a daily struggle.

Western Water Layperson's Guide to California Wastewater Gary Pitzer

As Californians Save More Water, Their Sewers Get Less and That’s a Problem
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Lower flows damage equipment, concentrate waste and stink up neighborhoods; should water conservation focus shift outdoors?

Corrosion is evident in this wastewater pipe from Los Angeles County.Californians have been doing an exceptional job reducing their indoor water use, helping the state survive the most recent drought when water districts were required to meet conservation targets. With more droughts inevitable, Californians are likely to face even greater calls to save water in the future.

Western Water Colorado River Basin Map Gary Pitzer

‘Mission-Oriented’ Colorado River Veteran Takes the Helm as the US Commissioner of IBWC
WESTERN WATER Q&A: Jayne Harkins’ duties include collaboration with Mexico on Colorado River supply, water quality issues

Jayne Harkins, the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission.For the bulk of her career, Jayne Harkins has devoted her energy to issues associated with the management of the Colorado River, both with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and with the Colorado River Commission of Nevada.

Now her career is taking a different direction. Harkins, 58, was appointed by President Trump last August to take the helm of the United States section of the U.S.-Mexico agency that oversees myriad water matters between the two countries as they seek to sustainably manage the supply and water quality of the Colorado River, including its once-thriving Delta in Mexico, and other rivers the two countries share. She is the first woman to be named the U.S. Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission for either the United States or Mexico in the commission’s 129-year history.

Western Water California Groundwater Map Layperson's Guide to Flood Management Gary Pitzer

Southern California Water Providers Think Local in Seeking to Expand Supplies
WESTERN WATER SIDEBAR: Los Angeles and San Diego among agencies pursuing more diverse water portfolio beyond imports

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant in Carlsbad last December marked 40 billion gallons of drinking water delivered to San Diego County during its first three years of operation. The desalination plant provides the county with more than 50 million gallons of water each day.Although Santa Monica may be the most aggressive Southern California water provider to wean itself from imported supplies, it is hardly the only one looking to remake its water portfolio.

In Los Angeles, a city of about 4 million people, efforts are underway to dramatically slash purchases of imported water while boosting the amount from recycling, stormwater capture, groundwater cleanup and conservation. Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2014 announced a plan to reduce the city’s purchase of imported water from Metropolitan Water District by one-half by 2025 and to provide one-half of the city’s supply from local sources by 2035. (The city considers its Eastern Sierra supplies as imported water.)

Western Water Groundwater Education Bundle Gary Pitzer

Imported Water Built Southern California; Now Santa Monica Aims To Wean Itself Off That Supply
WESTERN WATER SPOTLIGHT: Santa Monica is tapping groundwater, rainwater and tighter consumption rules to bring local supply and demand into balance

The Santa Monica Urban Runoff Recycling Facility (SMURRF) treats dry weather urban runoff to remove pollutants such as sediment, oil, grease, and pathogens for nonpotable use.Imported water from the Sierra Nevada and the Colorado River built Southern California. Yet as drought, climate change and environmental concerns render those supplies increasingly at risk, the Southland’s cities have ramped up their efforts to rely more on local sources and less on imported water.

Far and away the most ambitious goal has been set by the city of Santa Monica, which in 2014 embarked on a course to be virtually water independent through local sources by 2023. In the 1990s, Santa Monica was completely dependent on imported water. Now, it derives more than 70 percent of its water locally.

Aquapedia background

Septic Systems

In rural areas with widely dispersed houses, reliance upon a centralized sewer system is not practical compared to individual wastewater treatment methods. These on-site management facilities – or septic systems – are more commonplace given their simpler structure, efficiency and easy maintenance.

Aquapedia background Layperson's Guide to California Water California Water Map

Microplastics

Microplastics

Microplastics – plastic debris measuring less than 5 millimeters – are an increasing water quality concern. They enter waterways and oceans as industrial microbeads from various consumer products or larger plastic litter that degrades into small bits.

Microbeads have been used in exfoliating agents, cosmetic washes and large-scale cleaning processes. Microplastics are used pharmaceutically for efficient drug delivery to affected sites in patients’ bodies and by textile companies to create artificial fibers. 

Part of their appeal to hygienic and medical interests is their tendency to absorb surrounding chemicals and later release them. This quality makes microplastics ideal as small commercial sponges, but poses a hazard as water contaminants, potentially carrying harmful chemicals through the food chain as they are ingested.

Challenges of Removing Microplastics 

Microplastics disperse easily and widely throughout surface waters and sediments. UV light, microbes and erosion degrade the tiny fragments, making them even smaller and more difficult for wastewater treatment plants to remove.

The particles, usually made of polyethylene or polypropylene plastic, take thousands of years to biodegrade naturally. It takes prohibitively high temperatures to break microplastics down fully. Consequently, most water treatment plants cannot remove them.  

The health effects of consumption are currently under investigation.  

Responses

Many advocacy groups have published lists of products containing microbeads to curb their purchase and pollution.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates microbeads in industrial, but not domestic, wastewater. 

Federal law required microbeads to be phased out of rinse-off cosmetics beginning in July 2017. Dozens of states also regulate microbeads in products. California has the strictest limitation, prohibiting even the use of biodegradable microbeads.

Microplastics in California Water

In 2019, the San Francisco Estuary Institute published a study estimating that 7 trillion pieces of microplastic enter San Francisco Bay annually from stormwater runoff, about 300 times the amount in all wastewater treatment effluent entering the bay.

California lawmakers in 2018 passed a package of bills to raise awareness of the risks of microplastics and microfibers in the marine environment and drinking water. As directed by the legislation, the State Water Resources Control Board in 2020 adopted an official definition of microplastics in drinking water and in 2022 developed the world’s standardized methods for testing drinking water for microplastics.

The water board was expected by late 2023 to begin testing for microplastics in untreated drinking water sources tapped by 30 of the state’s largest water utilities. After two years, the testing was expected to extend to treated tap water served to consumers. A progress report and recommendations for policy changes or additional research are required by the end of 2025.

Aquapedia background

Coliform Bacteria

Coliform Bacteria as Indices

Directly detecting harmful pathogens in water can be expensive, unreliable and incredibly complicated. Fortunately, certain organisms are known to consistently coexist with these harmful microbes which are substantially easier to detect and culture: coliform bacteria. These generally non-toxic organisms are frequently used as “indicator species,” or organisms whose presence demonstrates a particular feature of its surrounding environment.

Aquapedia background

Biochemical Oxygen Demand

The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of water determines the impact of decaying matter on species in a specific ecosystem. Sampling for BOD tests how much oxygen is needed by bacteria to break down the organic matter.

Aquapedia background

Point Source vs. Nonpoint Source Pollution

Point Source Pollution

Point sources release pollutants from discrete conveyances, such as a discharge pipe, and are regulated by federal and state agencies. The main point source dischargers are factories and sewage treatment plants, which release treated wastewater.

Video

Restoring a River: Voices of the San Joaquin

This 30-minute documentary-style DVD on the history and current state of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program includes an overview of the geography and history of the river, historical and current water delivery and uses, the genesis and timeline of the 1988 lawsuit, how the settlement was reached and what was agreed to.

Video

A Climate of Change: Water Adaptation Strategies

This 25-minute documentary-style DVD, developed in partnership with the California Department of Water Resources, provides an excellent overview of climate change and how it is already affecting California. The DVD also explains what scientists anticipate in the future related to sea level rise and precipitation/runoff changes and explores the efforts that are underway to plan and adapt to climate.

Video

Drinking Water: Quenching the Public Thirst (60-minute DVD)

Many Californians don’t realize that when they turn on the faucet, the water that flows out could come from a source close to home or one hundreds of miles away. Most people take their water for granted; not thinking about the elaborate systems and testing that go into delivering clean, plentiful water to households throughout the state. Where drinking water comes from, how it’s treated, and what people can do to protect its quality are highlighted in this 2007 PBS documentary narrated by actress Wendie Malick. 

Video

Drinking Water: Quenching the Public Thirst (30-minute DVD)

A 30-minute version of the 2007 PBS documentary Drinking Water: Quenching the Public Thirst. This DVD is ideal for showing at community forums and speaking engagements to help the public understand the complex issues surrounding the elaborate systems and testing that go into delivering clean, plentiful water to households throughout the state.

Publication

Layperson’s Guide to California Wastewater
Published 2013

The 28-page Layperson’s Guide to California Wastewater is an in-depth, easy-to-understand publication that provides background information on the history of wastewater treatment and how wastewater is collected, conveyed, treated and disposed of today. The guide also offers case studies of different treatment plants and their treatment processes.

Publication Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Map

Layperson’s Guide to the Delta
Updated 2020

The 24-page Layperson’s Guide to the Delta explores the competing uses and demands on California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Included in the guide are sections on the history of the Delta, its role in the state’s water system, and its many complex issues with sections on water quality, levees, salinity and agricultural drainage, fish and wildlife, and water distribution.

Aquapedia background Layperson's Guide to California Wastewater

Wastewater Treatment Process in California

Wastewater management in California centers on the collection, conveyance, treatment, reuse and disposal of wastewater. This process is conducted largely by public agencies, though there are also private systems in places where a publicly owned treatment plant is not feasible.

In California, wastewater treatment takes place through 100,000 miles of sanitary sewer lines and at more than 900 wastewater treatment plants that manage the roughly 4 billion gallons of wastewater generated in the state each day.

Western Water Magazine

A Drought-Proof Supply: The Promise of Recycled Water
July/August 2008

This printed copy of Western Water examines recycled water – its use, the ongoing issues and the prospects it holds for extending water supplies.