Keep Those Fountains Flowing! Developing Recycled Water Guidelines for Decorative Water Features

In today's highly competitive markets, businesses and institutions have no choice but to make wise use of available resources. Increasingly the most forward-thinking companies are partnering with local utilities to reduce their demands for energy and water, both to save costs and improve the long-term sustainability of their business.Using highly treated recycled water for non-potable purposes is an effective way to reduce the demand for increasingly precious fresh-water resources. It is also a recognized green building practice. Recycled water has been used throughout California and the arid west for nearly 100 years. Under Title 22 the California Department of Public Health currently allows the use of disinfected tertiary recycled water for outdoor decorative water features.Decorative water features are a good use of recycled water. For the purpose of this paper, a decorative water feature is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air for decorative or dramatic effect. It does not include fish ponds or other ponds used for storing recycled water for irrigation.As a result of recent San Diego County-wide Level 2 Drought Alert mandatory water-use restrictions the San Diego County Water Authority (the Authority), along with several local Member Agencies that purvey recycled water, have been developing guidelines for decorative water features to assist County customers who are considering converting their water features to recycled water or planning new construction using recycled water.The guidelines are being developed with input from both the California Department of Public Health and San Diego County Department of Environment Health however the regulators will not “endorse” or “pre-approve” the guidelines because each decorative water feature is considered unique as to design, layout, setting, public use, and access, so each individual facility proposal will still be reviewed and approved on its individual characteristics.