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Frequently Asked Questions
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What is recycled
water? The California Water Code defines recycled
water as “water, which, as a result of treatment of waste, is
suitable for a direct beneficial use or a controlled use that
would not otherwise occur.” Recycled water reduces the amount of
fresh water required for non-drinking uses, ensuring that the
best and purest sources of water will be reserved for the
highest use — public drinking water.
What
kind of water will SBSA produce? The recycled
water will be tertiary-treated to a very high quality, meeting
or exceeding California’s strict Title 22 recycled water
standards for outdoor landscape irrigation and industrial
purposes. After entering the SBSA treatment plant, wastewater
from homes and businesses undergoes a carefully regulated
purification and disinfection process. Throughout the process,
samples are taken and tested in a state-of-the-art laboratory to
ensure high-quality water.
How
has the Recycled Water Project evolved to date? In
the fall of 2003, due to citizen concern about the Recycled
Water Project, the City Council directed the creation of a
community Recycled Water Task Force to explore different ways to
achieve the City’s water supply goals, without irrigating
schools and playgrounds with recycled water. On March 22, 2004,
the Council expressed its intent to meet the water supply needs
in full accord with the Task Force recommendations and on May
23, 2005, the Council set the pricing policy for recycled water.
As a result, the Recycled Water Project team has been meeting
with businesses in Redwood Shores and Seaport to confirm
customers who will use recycled water for landscape irrigation
and industrial processes. Additionally, there is a citywide
water conservation program that includes working with homeowners
associations (HOAs) on lowering water usage by applying best
management practices (BMPs) for landscape irrigation.
Who is going to pay for the recycled water connections?
For existing irrigation customers, the Recycled Water Project
will pay 100 percent of the costs associated with disconnecting
from the drinking water pipelines and reconnecting to the new
recycled water pipes. Additionally, existing irrigation systems
will need to be retrofitted, and the Project will cover those
costs for existing landscape customers, in most cases.
Industrial customers will prefer to perform process system
retrofits themselves, and those costs will be borne by the
customer. For industrial and new customers, a connection fee
will apply.
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Most landscaping
thrives using recycled water |
What
about recycled water and our landscaping? The vast
majority of plants do fine with recycled water. However, the
impacts of “hardwater” (salinity/minerals) on acid loving plants
could reduce growth and produce spotting on some leaves. The
Recycled Water Project will implement a landscape plant
protection program that may cover the costs of replacing
sensitive plants with ones that are more suitable for the bay
front environment on a case by case basis. Additionally, the
Redwood City Public Works Services Department will provide an
extensive program of informational support services as well as
direct assistance to recycled water customers and their
landscaping subcontractors, including workshops in successful
landscape management, with specific suggestions on using
recycled water most effectively.
How
will recycled water get to the users? Redwood City
will build a new distribution (pipeline) system to bring the
recycled water supply to customers from the SBSA recycling
plant. The water will be used primarily in the Redwood Shores,
Greater Bayfront, and Seaport areas for public and large
landscape accounts, as well as industrial uses.
Is
the operation and maintenance process reliable?
Yes. Redwood City’s Public Works Services Department will also
operate the Recycled Water distribution system. Public Works has
an unblemished record in operating the City’s drinking water
system. State-certified operations staff will carefully evaluate
and routinely inspect each irrigation site as required by state
regulation. Additionally, SBSA is experienced in reliably
producing high-quality recycled water that meets and exceeds
state regulatory requirements.
How will the public know if the water irrigating a landscaped
area is drinking water or recycled water? Signs
will clearly designate landscape areas being irrigated with
recycled water.
Has
anybody ever gotten sick from recycled water?
Recycled water is commonly used throughout the United States and
there are no confirmed reported cases of serious illness or
allergies from using recycled water for its intended use of
landscape irrigation.
Will this water smell bad?
It is possible some people may detect a slight chlorine smell,
usually less than a swimming pool or hot tub.
Could recycled water get mixed with drinking water?
A separate set of pipes will carry the recycled water. Pursuant
to state law, the recycled water pipes will either be colored
purple or clearly marked indicating recycled water use. There
will be no direct interconnections or cross connections between
the two water systems. The system will operate at a pressure
lower than the drinking water system’s pressure, so even if
someone tries to cross-connect a recycled water line with a
drinking water line, drinking water will push back into the
recycled water line, which essentially will serve as a double
protection of the drinking water supply. These systems will be
regularly monitored to ensure safety and prevention of
cross-connections.
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A separate set of
purple pipes will carry the recycled water |
What happens if dogs, cats or wildlife drink from a recycled
water puddle? Just the same thing that happens
when they drink water running down a gutter in the street: no
harmful effects.
This information is provided by the Redwood City Public Works
Services Department. For more detailed FAQs, please visit our
Web site at
www.redwoodcity.org/water
If you have additional questions or need more information,
please call us at 650.780.7464 or 650.743.5759. Or email us at
constructioninfo@datainstincts.com |
