Date of Graduation

Winter 12-12-2025

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Environmental Management (MSEM)

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Environmental Management

First Advisor

Simon Scarpetta

Abstract

Since the early 1900’s, California has found ways to reuse its wastewater, and in 2023 the state added a new method, Direct Potable Reuse (DPR), to its toolkit. DPR allows for advanced treated wastewater to be sent directly to a drinking water system, without an environmental buffer. Through a synthesis of the literature and related government documents of the state's water reuse history, an analysis of regional water recycling trends, and a survey of water utility professionals, this paper aims to understand DPR's future role in securing California's water supply. Historically, public perception has delayed adoption and development of California's potable reuse industry. Current reuse trends suggest regional differences in how successful these efforts have been. Water managers expressed positive views about the future of DPR, though funding for new infrastructure and governance structures of the wastewater industry may be the latest roadblocks. Ultimately, California may benefit by prioritizing the expansion of its non-potable recycling efforts, as infrastructure costs for new projects may be more difficult to come by in the current political climate. Regional approaches, as opposed to state-wide initiatives, will also help cater to the needs of different hydrologic areas, each with unique physical and climate characteristics that have, up until now, created divergent paths within California’s water reuse journey.

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