From Sewage To Drinking Water: OC Pioneers Toilet To Tap

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — An Orange County-based project that can turn sewage water into clean drinking water in less than an hour may change the game for other water-scarce areas in the nation, The Guardian reported.

The Groundwater Replenishment System facility in Orange County moves up to 130 million gallons every day — enough for one million people — restoring the water from brown to clear and creating state and federally compliant drinking water in the process, according to the report.

Most of the water recycled in the facility will travel to the City of Anaheim, where it will create lakes to percolate down into the aquifer and replenish drinking water for residents, the report said.

The facility, which opened in 2008, purifies the wastewater by using a three-step advanced treatment process consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide, according to the county's website.

The process produces water that meets state and federal drinking water standards, according to the county. Orange County's wastewater facility is the first of its kind if the United States, following facilities in Israel, Singapore and Kuwait, The Guardian reported.

To read the full article, visit The Guardian's website.