> THE POINT LOMA WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THIS IS WHERE UP TO 200 MILLION GALLONS OF SAN DIEGO
WATER COMES EVERY DAY TO BE TREATED AND PUMPED INTO THE
OCEAN.
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO IMAGINE ANOTHER WAY TO HANDLE OUR WASTE
WATER.
>> THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, ULTRA PURE WATER.
>> MARCY IS THE CORRECTER OF A EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT IN SAN
DIEGO PURIFYING WATER THAT GOES DOWN THE TOILET AND THE DRAIN.
SHE SAYS THE END PRODUCT IS MORE PURE THAN EVEN YOUR TAP WATER.
THE POINT OF THE PROJECT IS A FIND A WAY TO TURN WASTE WATER
NO A LARGE RELIABLE SOURCE OF WATER FOR SAN DIEGO.
SHE POINTS OUT THE COST OF IMPORTED WATER HAS RISEN 85% IN
THE PAST 8 YEARS AND THE PRICES ARE NOT HEADED ANYWHERE BUT UP.
>> IT'S ESTIMATED THE COST OF IMPORTED WATER WILL DOUBLE BY
2020.
>> IS IT CHEAPER TO RECYCLE OUR WASTE WATER THAN IMPORT IT FROM
THE COLORADO RIVER.
>> NOT YET.
IN FACT LOCALLY RECYCLED WATER COSTS TWICE AS MUCH AS IMPORTED
WATER.
IT'S SUGGESTED IN ABOUT TEN YEARS THE COST COULD BE ABOUT
THE SAME.
SAN DIEGO'S WATER RECYCLING PROJECT INVOLVES SEVERAL STEPS.
WASTE WATER IS TREATED TO THE POINT TO BE USED FOR IRRIGATION.
THEN IT'S PUSHED THROUGH THE MEMBRANES FOUND IN THESE TINY
TUBES.
IT'S FORCED THROUGH A FINER FILTER IN REVERSE OSMOSIS AND
REMAINING CONTAMINANTS ARE BLASTED WITH UV LIGHTS AND MIXED
WITH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE.
IF YOU THINK THIS IS A NICE BUT UNTESTED THEORY, THINK AGAIN.
THERE IS A PLACE WHERE WASTE WATER IS TREATED AND TURNED INTO
DRINKING WATER.
IT'S NOT FAR AWAY.
WELCOME TO THE ORANGE COUNTY WATER DISTRICT.
>> THIS PLANT PRODUCES 70 MILLION GALLONS A DAY.
>> MIKE MARCUS IS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE ORANGE COUNTY
WATER DISTRICT.
>> IT'S ENOUGH WATER FOR NEARLY 600,000 PEOPLE.
THIS PROJECT IS THE LARGEST PLANNED INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSED
PROJECT IN THE WORLD.
>> INDIRECT PORTABLE REUSE IS INDUSTRY JAR BEGAN FOR WATER
RECYCLING.
ORANGE COUNTY CLEANS THE WATER LIKE THEY DO IN THE SAN DIEGO
PILOT PROJECT THEN THEY PUMP IT UNDERGROUND TO A AQUAPHIFER.
WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR ORANGE COUNTY.
>> WE ARE RELIANT ON OUTSIDE SOURCES, IMPORTED WATER.
SO REALLY ABOUT 70% OF OUR WATER SUPPLY PORTFOLIO IS AVAILABLE IN
NATURE.
WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING WITH THAT RELIABLE
SOURCE OF WATER.
THAT'S WHAT RECYCLED WATER GIVES US.
>> MEANWHILE SAN DIEGO FACES ANOTHER WATER ISSUE THAT IS
CRUCIAL.
BRINGING US BACK TO THE POINT LOMA TREATMENT PLANT.
THERE IS A WAFER TO ALLOW SAN DIEGO TO DUMP WATER INTO THE
OCEAN.
THAT WON'T LAST FOREVER AND UPGRADING COULD COST A MILLION
DOLLARS.
WHAT IF SAN DIEGO COULD REDUCE THE FLOW TO POINT LOMA BY
RECYCLING WATER UPSTREAM?
GONZALES HAS BEEN IN TALKS WITH THE CITY OVER THE WAFER.
HE SAYS IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO RECYCLING THE WATER THEN
UPGRADING THE POINT LOMA PLANT AT A HUGE EXPENSE TO RATE
PAYERS.
>> WE HAVE A UNTAPPED RESOURCE.
ALL OF THIS WATER WE'RE WASTING DUMPING INTO THE OCEAN.
WE APPROACH THE CITY WITH A NOVEL CONTEMPT.
>> A LOFTY GOAL OF NO LONGER DISCHARGING UNTREATED SEWAGE IS
NOT OCEAN.
>> THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE, THE YUCK FACTOR.
OPPONENTS EXCEED BRANDING IT "TOILET TO TAP."
MARCY SAYS ATTITUDES ARE CHANGING AND THEY SHOULD.
>> IT'S NOT TOILET TO TAP.
AS YOU SAW ON THE TOUR THERE ARE MULTIPLE TREATMENT STEPS
INVOLVED.
IT'S INACCURATE BUT I'M SURE SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S CUTE.
>> HERE YOU CAN TAKE THE TEST WHEN IT WORKS.
THIS IS NEWLY RECYCLED WASTE WATER.
TASTE LIKES WATER.
TOM FUDGE, KPBS NEWS.