Water Recycling

By Dwight L. "Pat" Howard

Water recycling is a crucial element in Tri-Valley water supply reliability and an important element in water supply costs.

Recycled water as a cost center: Recycled water is relatively inexpensive to produce. Every day, millions of gallons of treated wastewater are produced. Ordinarily, the wastewater goes through primary and secondary treatment and is then pumped over the hill to the bay. Recycled water goes through a third treatment step to make it safe for irrigation. The net cost of recycled water is only the cost of that third treatment plus distribution costs. The water itself is free. Pumping costs are a break-even in that the costs to pump recycled water to reservoirs are offset by cost savings in not pumping the water over the hill.