Burgeoning population growth, scarcity of new freshwater sources, and an
influx of proposals to use reclaimed water to augment potable supplies have put
increasing pressure on the State of California to develop comprehensive criteria for
indirect potable reuse via groundwater recharge. While the California Department of
Health Services (DHS) began the process of developing criteria for both surface
spreading and injection projects several years ago, DHS has intensified its efforts in
the last year. The most recent draft criteria, released in 2001, include requirements
that reflect current concerns over nitrogen compounds, unregulated emerging
chemical contaminants such as endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals, and total
organic carbon (TOC) limits. Disinfected filtered reclaimed water is the minimum
allowed for surface spreading projects, although additional treatment may be
necessary if soil aquifer treatment is ineffective. Additional treatment via reverse
osmosis is required for all injection projects to insure organics removal. DHS is now
considering requirements to allow recharge of 50 to 100 percent reclaimed water with
controls that may include testing for tentatively identified compounds, advanced
oxidation using ultraviolet radiation and hydrogen peroxide, in vivo toxicity testing,
and lowering the TOC limit to 0.5 mg/L. The criteria will continue to evolve to
address new issues or concerns as they arise. Includes table, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 540 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 11 |
| Published : | 06/16/2002 |
