New Blue Fact Sheet

40 Billion Gallons of

NEW BLUE WATER

A NEW way to think about water A NEW WATER source

for 1 Million Californians

A time to become BLUE….

Climate change, drought conditions, wildfires, natural disasters, population growth, and legal rulings that restrict water allocations to protect habitat all pose serious challenges and threats to California and our nation. Managing existing water resources and creating new water is critical to the continued health and economy of the residents and businesses of California. Just like “Green” projects, public agencies, businesses and residents need to make investments and lifestyle changes to become more “BLUE BLUE” BLUE to protect and conserve existing water supplies and create new ones. The water you drink is recycled in some way or another! As it makes its way to you, it is likely that it has passed through many communities before it reaches yours. OVER 1.3 BILLION GALLONS OF WASTEWATER IS LOST TO THE OCEAN EVERYDAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. NEW BLUE WATER PROJECTS are facilities that utilize state-of-the–art technology to recycle treated wastewater to near-distilled water quality by using a three- step advanced purification process of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide. The purification process disinfects the water and eliminates pharmaceuticals, viruses, dissolved salts and minerals, and organic materials like fertilizers and pesticides. NEW BLUE WATER PROJECTS are advanced water recycling projects that produce the highest quality drinking water at a cost that is competitive to import water supplies which are declining. The more California invests in NEW BLUE WATER PROJECTS, the less it becomes subject to the instability of limited imported water supplies and price increases. There is a big difference between NEW BLUE WATER and traditional purple pipe recycling. NEW BLUE WATER is a higher quality water that can be used for drinking, to protect groundwater supplies from seawater contamination, and for manufacturing, industrial purposes and irrigation. Purple pipe water can only be used for irrigation and limited industrial functions. NEW BLUE WATER PROJECTS are very cost-effective, but require a significant amount of capital to build. Each project can cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars. But when you break down the cost per unit of NEW BLUE WATER compared to imported water supplies, the cost is comparable and in some instances less expensive. Several NEW BLUE WATER PROJECTS are being developed throughout California, but not one is on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI funding wait list. A new federal authorization is needed to help create this reliable water supply and generate enough NEW BLUE WATER for over 1 million California residents. Proposed drafts for a California state water bond are in the $10 billion to $13 billion dollar range with approximately $3 billion of those funds being designated to surface storage in the Central and Northern portions of the state. Less than $500 million is being proposed for all types of water recycling combined—NEW NEW BLUE WATER, WATER purple pipe and ocean desalination statewide. To learn more about NEW BLUE WATER PROJECTS, contact the Orange County Water District at (714) 378-3268 or [email protected]