Special offer

Drought Plagued San Diego Considering "Toilet to Tap" Solution

By
Industry Observer with Retired

Earlier this year San Diego in confirming its effort to move on it's plan for indirect potable reuse ( toilet to tap), may require another rate increase of about 6.5% of the current rates to fund the pilot program.

San Diego in it's effort to offset the diminishing supply of potable water, estimated what a toilet to tap supplementation pilot project to our our current water supply would cost using the reservoir augmentation method. This toilet to tap purifying of waste water has its share of opposition but the city council seems determined that with the drought and continually escalating costs of water ( 90% of San Diego's water has to purchased), this is the method that seems to make the most sense to them.

This is said to be the first first system of its kind in the California. Another notable reclamation system is that of Orange County. Their system  is different than what is proposed for San Diego in that it uses an aquifer system for recycling its waste water. The program San Diego is interested in is called Reservoir Augmentation.

San Diego currently runs other two major facilities for purifying waste water directed at irrigation and industrial use. It uses what is called purple pipes  for transporting the water but the city has not expanded it pipe laying program , likely because of current budget constraints, to get the reclaimed to water to more locations that use large volumes of water such as municipal golf courses and other types of high water use businesses.

In the Fall of 2007, the San Diego council voted for a pilot project for the reservoir augmentation program*. For the trial period , the reclaimed water would be used strictly for industrial and irrigation purposes. The cost of the pilot program was recently updated to be in the neighborhood of about 12 million dollars that would necessarily include a treatment plant estimated to be at 7.5 million. * This pilot program was vetoed by the city administration but was overturned by the city council in December 2007. The rate increase of about 6.5% would be is needed to provide the funding for this pilot program and the rate increase proposed  which has not yet been considered will come to the council later this year..

In the meantime, San Diegans will likely have to endure yet another rate hike of 6.26% for just the increased cost of purchasing water, if this new hike in rates is passed on by a council vote expected in September. The rates would go up very early next year. The combined rate hikes since July 2007, coupled together  with these two new  proposed hikes could raise the cost of the average consumers bill by up to 40% by late 2009. And until San Diego can get this pilot program underway and locate whatever other resources may be available and affordable, the rates will most likely continue to climb.

Posted by

Click On Photo Below If You Enjoy My Blog

 Thank You !

http://activerain.com/social/subscribe/8657

 

 

Comments (12)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Don't feel bad.  I had to put in a new well last year that cost me almost $30,000.  When it comes to water, you do what you have to do.

 

Jul 30, 2008 07:43 AM
Amy Stoehr
Real Estate Masters Guild - Longmont, CO

Thank you - the title alone of your submission was enough to put a smile on my face and a giggle in my throat. When we consider the proposition that all water on Earth has been recycled, technically we're already all drinking from the toilet, something our dogs have known since the toilet was invented. Have a great day, all!

Jul 30, 2008 07:49 AM
William Johnson
Retired - La Jolla, CA
Retired

Hi Lenn, Wow, those wells have to be really deep and the costs are not cheap. I sold a big property way out east a few years back and the wells had to put water up hill some 250 feet. The well turned out to be way cheaper than the hydro pumps to get it up to the storage tanks , then into the house. The seller joked that a plane lift might be less expensive. It had vista views that would give pause to wonder if God could have had a better view. Thanks for sharing that Lenn.

Jul 30, 2008 07:55 AM
William Johnson
Retired - La Jolla, CA
Retired

Hi Amy, From what I have heard arond others didn't like the pilot program name. Thanks for dropping by and sharing that smile.

Jul 30, 2008 07:57 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

They don't usually cost that much, but we had to go 800 feet. 

The normal cost is $6-10K.

Jul 30, 2008 08:06 AM
William Johnson
Retired - La Jolla, CA
Retired

Hi Lenn, a few more feet and it might be the half way to China,lol. 800 feet is a long way way down there.

Jul 30, 2008 08:19 AM
PJ S
Home Inspection Specialist - Los Angeles, CA

Mayor Jerry Sanders has resisted a similar project even though the city imports about 90 percent of its drinking water at a growing expense.

Sanders' position rests largely on financial grounds. He said mixing reclaimed wastewater with other drinking water in a city reservoir, an idea dubbed "toilet to tap" by critics, would cost too much. The price tag - $210 million by the city's estimate - would translate into a fraction of ratepayers' current water and sewer bills.

Jul 30, 2008 04:05 PM
William Johnson
Retired - La Jolla, CA
Retired

Hi PJS I worte you this long message and one missed key stroke and it is gone,lol. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

Jul 30, 2008 04:43 PM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Water has always been an issue in California.  I know when I lived in San Francisco we were always trying to find ways to conserve when there was a drought.  I still have my condo in SF and we are implementing water saving devices again.  Good luck.

Jul 31, 2008 05:18 AM
William Johnson
Retired - La Jolla, CA
Retired

Hi Joan, Thanks for stopping by. I read an article yesterday that expresses the new concerns a lot stronger than I did in my piece. I suppose we will begin to see not only the higher water bills but mandatory cut backs. Someone proposed a doubling of the rates if there is an excess of the base which would calculated as average. I don't think anyone would be able to take it that far but the future here looks a bit ominous as leadership has deferred taking action beyond voluntary conservation. Supplies in the reservoirs are seriously low and could spell problems ahead more serious than just conservation.

I have always wondered why when they have this ongoing issue, they keep allowing more and more development.

Jul 31, 2008 05:36 AM
Harrison K. Long
HomeSmart, Evergreen Realty - Irvine, CA
REALTOR , GRI, Broker associate, Attorney

WJ:

It remains to be seen whether we here in Orange County, CA, will experience "Sewage in O.C. goes full circle". That prior article and note could have been premature.

Harrison K. Long, Explore Properties Group, Coldwell Banker Previews

Aug 03, 2008 04:43 PM
William Johnson
Retired - La Jolla, CA
Retired

Hello Harrison, Thank you for sharing that and I will keep my eye out for the success of that system. I have spoken to an agent there and she is very hopeful that the system will work as promised and be expanded to provide more supply.

Aug 03, 2008 06:23 PM