Water Recycling Funding Program (WRFP)

MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER RECYCLING SURVEY

State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) staff conducted a survey for recycled water delivered in 2001, and the WateReuse Foundation conducted a nationwide survey (partially funded by the Water Recycling Funding Program) for recycled water delivered in 2007. The 2001 and 2007 surveys estimated 525,465 acre-feet (AF) and 655,621 AF of recycled water being used in California, respectively. The 2009 survey estimated a total of 723,845 AF of recycled water being used in California.

Conducting periodic recycled water surveys is a way to determine the level of progress being made towards meeting the goals set in State Water Board Strategic Plan Update, adopted on September 2, 2008, and the Recycled Water Policy, adopted on February 3, 2009. The State Water Board Strategic Plan Update sets a goal of achieving 1,250,000 AF of recycled water use by 2015 while the Recycled Water Policy sets a goal of achieving 1,525,000 AF of recycled water use by 2020.

The 2009 survey was conducted utilizing the web accessed Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST) in order to secure the data in a central location to allow agencies to make updates easily. The primary goals of the survey were to capture (1) the amount of wastewater treated, (2) the amount of recycled water used, and (3) the type of beneficial use. In order to meet these goals, only publicly-owned wastewater and water recycling agencies were included in the survey. Private users (i.e. manufacturer process water) were not included.

Despite efforts to increase survey participation through the use of an electronic survey, the 2009 survey solicitation resulted in initial responses from only 101 of the 573 agencies; roughly an 18 percent response rate. Realizing the insufficient level of response, and the lack of viable data in those responses, staff resources were shifted to help collect recycled water usage data while omitting wastewater data. Staff made attempts to contact all agencies that did not respond in order to collect data from agencies that produced, distributed, or used recycled water for beneficial use.

Staff was able to capture 504,952 AF of recycled water use from 118 agencies as a result of the survey responses, recycled water annual reports, agency websites, and from direct telephone communication with the agencies. For agencies that ultimately did not respond with recycled water use data, staff utilized the basic assumption that agencies from the 2001 survey actively used at minimum, the same amount of recycled water in 2009 as was reported in 2001. Transferring this historical data (referred to as ‘Carry Over’) in the amount of 218,893 AF from 143 agencies yields an estimated total of 723,845 AF of recycled water from 261 agencies, currently being used within California in various beneficial use categories, as shown in the pie chart below. For the purposes of comparing the 2001 results to the 2009 results, the 2001 survey volume was adjusted down to 491,992 AF by removing all private user data and a duplication error. Therefore, the 2009 survey results have determined an increase of 231,853 AF over the 2001 volume and an increase of 68,224 AF over the 2007 volume.

Staff is planning to periodically update the survey results with corrections received from the agencies. The frequency of these updates will be determined based on the number of corrections received.

Complete Results for the 2009 Municipal Wastewater Recycling Survey

2009 Municipal Wastewater Recycling Survey Results - A table showing complete results of the survey
2001 vs. 2009 Municipal Wastewater Recycling Survey Results - Comparison of the distribution of recycled water use within specific beneficial reuse categories for 2001 and 2009

Changes or Corrections?

If your agency needs to make changes to the data shown on the 2009 Municipal Wastewater Survey Results table, please do one of the following:

For minor changes/corrections, please contact Daman Badyal, at (916) 322-1409 or email wrfp@waterboards.ca.gov with “Survey Correction Request” in the subject field.
For major changes (i.e. your agency is not listed or is listed but there is missing data): Complete and Submit the (Change Request Form) to wrfp@waterboards.ca.gov

Questions or Comments?

For Survey Related Inquiries, please contact:

Daman Badyal, P.E.
(916) 322-1409

For General Program Related Inquiries, please contact:

Dan Newton, P.E.
(916) 324-8404

Division of Financial Assistance
Water Recycling Funding Program
State Water Resources Control Board
P.O. Box 944212
Sacramento, CA 94244-2120