15.6 Conservation is an important “source” of water.

The GWRS project was expensive: the total price tag to build the system came to about $487 million from federal, state, and local funding.

An easier and cheaper way to maintain water supplies is simply not to waste so much. For example, water-saving irrigation methods limit loss to evaporation and runoff, thus significantly reducing the water that is used. This has the added advantages of protecting surface waters and of preventing soil salinization (the buildup of salt as water evaporates), a common problem in dry climates. Choosing to plant crops more suited to the environment and water availability will also decrease agricultural water use. Many industrial processes are now designed to reuse water rather than discharge it into the environment. Small individual changes in the household can also save a lot of water. [infographic 15.7]

In the meantime, supplementing potable water supplies with recycled water is an innovative way to help ameliorate ongoing water issues, says Channah Rock, a water-quality specialist and assistant professor at the University of Arizona. It’s rare to find initiatives like Orange County’s, she says, but several communities—in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Florida, for instance— are reusing recycled water for nonpotable use, such as for irrigating landscapes and crops, filling fountains and fire hydrants, and flushing toilets. Communities are trying to “match the quality of water with the right use of water,” she says. Since people are prohibited from drinking the water that is used for irrigation, for example, says Rock, it’s not necessary to subject that water to the same advanced treatment processes as those used for potable water.

Public perception of recycled water projects actually varies, says Rock, depending on how familiar or confident people are with the treatment process and how plagued their community is by water-scarcity issues. In Arizona, which has regions affected by drought, a recent statewide survey found that Arizona residents generally supported most potential uses of recycled water and felt that it was very important that their community use recycled water to help meet its water needs. To many people, she says, what matters is that the water ultimately meets regulatory standards designed to protect public health. In fact, Rock says, the “toilet to tap” phrase is incredibly misleading, because it leaves out the testing, treatment, and scrutiny that take place in between.

The Groundwater Replenishment Program has received many accolades, including the prestigious 2008 Stockholm Industry Water Award. In 2010, just 10 years after Deshmukh finished graduate school, his work was profiled in National Geographic. It’s an achievement that fills Deshmukh with pride. “This is water that’s normally just wasted in the ocean. For the first time, it was being added to the water basin, cleaner and at a higher quantity than we’d done before.”

Once Skinner learned how the water would be treated, spoke to scientists about the effectiveness of the treatment process, and learned the project would have continuous oversight, he was reassured. “I feel they have successfully addressed my concerns,” he says. Skinner and Deshmukh even worked together to create videos describing the project. Today, Skinner, his wife, daughter, and grandson consume the recycled water. “I think it’s safe for my family to drink.”