Recycled Water

Orange County leads Southern California by a wide margin in the use of recycled water, defined as water that has been used, is treated and is reusable for irrigation.

Of the total amount of recycled water used in 1990 by the six Southern California urbanized counties, about 60% is used by Orange County. And that percentage will hold by the year 2000 if current projections are correct.

The Santa Ana River is the source for about 85% of all water recycled in the county. Upstream discharge from the river is captured in weirs (low dams built to divert water) north of Katella Avenue in Orange. The water then percolates into the ground-water basin.

In South County, which does not have a ground-water basin from which to draw, nine water reclamation plants have been built to treat recyclable water.

Here’s how Orange County’s use of recycled water contrasts with that of other counties and how the projections for the year 2000 look.

USE OF RECYCLED WATER, BY COUNTY (In thousands of acre-feet equals 325,900 gallons): Orange 1990 Use: 140 2000 Projected Use: 205 Los Angeles 1990 Use: 70 2000 Projected Use: 95 Riverside 1990 Use: 15 2000 Projected Use: 22 San Bernardino 1990 Use: 2 2000 Projected Use: 11 San Diego 1990 Use: 8 2000 Projected Use: 20 Ventura 1990 Use: .3 2000 Projected Use: 1 Source: Municipal Water District of Orange County