Freshwater availability has become increasingly limited in recent years due to climate events, environmental needs, increasing population and economic demands. This has forced us to think outside of the box and to consider ways we can safely reuse water that has not been traditionally used for drinking.
Enter into the picture Recycled Water – which is water that has been used and then treated to remove impurities to be reused for various purposes, including agricultural and turf irrigation, industrial processes, and environmental restoration.
Recycled water has been and will continue to be an important source of irrigation water to offset the use of local groundwater and other potable water supplies in the Sonoma Valley. To support the development of a sustainable water supply portfolio for Sonoma County, the Sonoma Valley GSA is collaborating with the Sonoma Valley County Sanitation District (SVCSD) to advance planning for additional recycled water opportunities.
During Water Year 2023, it is estimated that approximately 900 AFY of recycled water is delivered within the Subbasin for agricultural and landscape irrigation, significantly reducing the need for use of groundwater and other potable water supplies.
Potential recycled water opportunities were evaluated in the 2018 SVCSD Recycled Water Master Plan. Under the GSA’s 2024 SGM Implementation grant from DWR, the Recycled Water Planning task will advance the planning and design of the Napa Road Recycled Water Pipeline project to 30% and complete CEQA for the project. The planning will support future expansion of the recycled water system, which is needed to offset and reduce groundwater demands in an area of the subbasin where chronic groundwater level declines and minimum threshold exceedances are occurring. The task will build on an ongoing assessment and survey of potential recycled water users in the area being funded by the GSA to help select the most optimal pipeline route for offsetting existing groundwater uses.
Water recycling is an efficient way to reuse and create a dependable water supply while reducing groundwater demand. As water demands increase and ecosystems continue to experience stress of human impacts and a changing climate, water recycling will play an essential role in our water supply resilience.
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