California Prepares for Direct Potable Reuse of Wastewater

California’s multiyear drought was officially declared over on April 7, but the Legislature is on the verge of making the state a pioneer in the direct reuse of wastewater for potable consumption.A bill in the General Assembly would require the state Water Resources Control Board to formulate uniform state standards for potable reuse by Dec. 31, 2021. By June 1, 2018, the board would have to adopt a framework for the regulation of potable reuse projects.AB 547 is sponsored by Rep. Bill Quirk (D-Hayward), who chairs the Legislature’s Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. According to a fact sheet prepared