San Diego is proving that the future of water is recycled. This episode visits Santee Lakes—one of California’s earliest examples of water reuse—with Kyle Swanson of Padre Dam Municipal Water District, who explains how a 1960s experiment turned wastewater into a beloved community asset and a model for the world.
The story then moves to the North City Water Reclamation Plant, where Doug Campbell from the City of San Diego shares how decades of innovation paved the way for Pure Water San Diego—one of the nation’s largest and most ambitious water recycling efforts. When complete, Pure Water will provide half of the city’s drinking water through a five-step purification process that turns wastewater into a safe, sustainable, and drought-proof resource.
This episode is part of The Golden State of Reuse, a series exploring the past, present, and future of water recycling across California, showcasing the people and projects redefining how water is used again and again. Visit https://bit.ly/ReuseCAseries
The series is a collaboration with WateReuse California and the lead sponsor is CDM Smith: cdmsmith.com/reuse
The series is also supported by the Sacramento Area Sewer District, Black & Veatch, and Monterey One Water.
waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability. Visit https://www.waterloop.org/
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0:00 San Diego’s Future Drinking Water
1:15 What Is Water Recycling and Why It Matters
2:45 The Origins of Reuse at Santee Lakes
4:30 Kyle Swanson on How a 1950s Idea Became a Model for the World
6:40 Turning Wastewater into a Community Asset
8:25 The Power of Local Water in a Dry Region
10:05 North City Water Reclamation Plant: Pioneering Modern Reuse
11:40 Doug Campbell on Building San Diego’s One Water Future
13:20 How Recycled Water Is Cleaned and Used
15:10 The Economics of Recycled Water
17:00 Pure Water San Diego: Turning Wastewater into Drinking Water
19:00 Inside the Advanced Purification Process
22:10 Five Steps to Purified Water
24:10 Public Trust and the Shift in Acceptance
26:00 California’s Leadership in Water Recycling
26:50 Closing Thoughts and Series Overview
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