Will Recycling Save California's Water Future? | The Golden State of Reuse

California’s water system was built for a wetter century—and now the state is racing to turn wastewater into a reliable part of its supply portfolio. In this episode, Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the California State Water Resources Control Board, breaks down where water reuse fits in California’s long-term strategy, and what it will take to scale it safely and affordably.

The conversation spans the state’s role as both regulator and funder, including the adoption of direct potable reuse regulations, the safeguards designed to protect public health, and the need for “regulatory certainty” that helps projects move from concept to construction.

Esquivel also shares the numbers behind California’s current reuse footprint—roughly 750,000 to 800,000 acre-feet annually—and the state’s goals to expand that supply in the coming decades while balancing discharges needed for instream flows. The episode tackles the “yuck factor” head-on, explaining why monitoring, testing, and transparent communication are essential to maintaining trust as systems move toward direct connections.

And it spotlights a looming constraint few people see coming: a major wave of retirements that could reshape the water workforce just as advanced treatment becomes the new normal.

This episode is part of The Golden State of Reuse, a series exploring the past, present, and future of water recycling across California.

The series is a collaboration with WateReuse California and sponsored by CDM Smith.

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.