Energy Use and Economics of Direct Potable Reuse

Potable water reuse, and particularly direct potable reuse, has gained attention in recent years in response to water shortages in the western United States as well as abroad. The cost and energy requirements of potable reuse are issues that frequently are raised by the public, municipalities and government officials. By using available data from facilities using the treatment processes that potable reuse will utilize, a study commissioned by the WateReuse Research Foundation has looked into the cost and energy use of direct potable reuse compared to other potential water supply options. The results of this study show that direct potable reuse compares favorably to many other supply options depending on a number of different factors. Additionally, this study also looked at the amount of wastewater in California potentially available for potable reuse. The results find that there is a large untapped resource to help the state meet its growing water needs.