Recycled sewer water free for anyone willing to cart it home
By Contra Costa Times, adapted by Newsela staff 04.22.15
PLEASANTON, Calif. — Leon Jung figured it would take something unusual to save his brown
front lawn.
So about a month ago, he turned to his local sewage treatment plant for some free recycled sewer
water.
Yes, free water. Sewer water.
You just have to be willing to haul it home in tanks, drums, barrels or jugs. The rescue operation
is a back-to-the-basics effort to combat the effects of the stubborn California drought.
A New Level Of Recycling
Business is booming at the recycled water station in Pleasanton. It is the first in the state that is
giving out waste water to use on dry lawns and shrubs.
Sewer plants in Martinez and Livermore also have started giving away recycled water to drive-in
customers. Sewer plants in several other California cities are considering it.
“This water is making a huge difference with my landscaping,” said Jung, who lives in Dublin,
California. “The lawn got pretty brown and dried out last year during the cutbacks. I worry it
would die if I didn’t give it this extra help.”
Funky Irrigation System
Jung said he enjoyed designing his own irrigation system. He used two 55-gallon empty drums
strapped to the back of his pickup and fitted it with a plastic pipe that sucks up the water. An
electric motor shoots the water through a hand-held garden hose to water his front lawn, ferns
and camellia bush.
“I had fun coming up with this,” he said as he steered a stream of treated sewage water on his
lawn.
The popularity of the service has exploded. More than 610 people have signed up for the free
recycled water. In recent days as the drought continues and the temperatures climb, more than 50
have registered.
Adding to the urgency, California Governor Jerry Brown announced in April that the entire state
of California must cut back its use of fresh water 25 percent. Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton
already said residents had to use 25 percent water last year.
“Our service is certainly riding a wave of popularity,” said Dan Gallagher. He manages the
Dublin San Ramon Services District, which operates the recycled water station. “I’m awed
sometimes when I see so many people using our filling station. It takes a lot of work to bring
water home, and pump it on your grounds, and then keep doing it again and again.”
No Drinking! No Swimming!
When the recycled water station opened in July, it had three water faucets and workers had no
idea whether it would catch on. Now the station has eight spigots with another eight that will be
added soon to keep up with the growing demand. Anyone can take the water, and some people
drive in from 30 miles away.
Officials admitted that there is a yuck factor in using recycled toilet and sewer water. But they
say that the water shortages have helped many consumers get past it.
Sue Stephenson, a Dublin San Ramon spokeswoman, said the water is completely safe to use.
The dirty water undergoes several extra treatments to clean it.
Still, people must be careful. Before hauling away their first load, consumers must promise not to
use it for drinking or swimming pool. They also cannot put it in household water pipes.
“Some of our customers have become very creative in coming up with systems to get the water
into hoses” and irrigation systems, said Melody LaBella. She is the water recycling manager at
the Central San plant in Martinez.
Every Little Bit Helps The Water Crisis
Many California sewer plants send recycled water to water ball fields, golf courses or plants on
street dividers. The Pleasanton facility last year become the first to offer the free water to
ordinary homeowners.
Bobbi Larson is the executive director for the California Association of Sanitation Agencies,
which includes waste water treatment plants. She said other sewer plants should copy the
program.
The water crisis in California is so huge that using recycled water for grass will not make much
of a dent. However, it helps people reduce their use of fresh water and reminds people about the
importance of recycling, officials say.
The Dublin San Ramon plant gave out 2.3 million gallons of recycled water to homeowners in
2014. In the first three months of this year, it has given away more than 580,000 gallons.
“If the drought ends, I suspect most of our customers will stop using our service,” Gallagher
said. “But I don’t think we will close it because some people will still want to use it.”