SAN JOSE, CA, Feb. 6, 2015 -- In an effort to conserve precious drinking water in California, the Environmental Services Department (ESD) representing the city of San José is apportioning recycled water from its South Bay Water Recycling (SBWR) system and making it available at truck fill stations.
The project will supply water for construction trucks that spray water to minimize dust at construction sites, city trucks that perform sewer cleanouts and street-sweeping trucks that mist the street surface as they sweep.
Recent storms are encouraging but likely will not solve California's water crisis resulting from four years of severe drought. City staff have expanded the use of recycled water to help save drinking water. For instance, the Bay Area Rapid Transit project construction site in the city of Oakland uses recycled water to keep down construction dust, which saves about 75,000 gallons of drinking water per day.
"We're committed to continue to find solutions to ensure a stable water supply; every drop of drinking water still counts," said Kerrie Romanow, director of the San José ESD, which operates SBWR. "We now can make recycled water available to commercial trucks that have appropriate water tanks and comply with permitted uses for recycled water."
The use of recycled water is regulated by the state. SBWR is San José's recycled water wholesaler, serving the cities of San José, Santa Clara and Milpitas, through retailers who deliver recycled water for approved uses including commercial and civic irrigation; industrial cooling towers; flushing toilets in dual-plumbed commercial buildings; and now, water truck uses.
Seven filling stations are now operational in San José. Five recycled water filling stations are available in the Milpitas area. A filling station in Santa Clara is planned to open sometime in 2015.
See also:
"Reclaiming a Resource: Wastewater Reuse Holds Promise for Communities Struggling with Drought"
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