California approves rules for converting sewage waste to drinking water

The regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board represent a landmark. — Reuters

LOS ANGELES: California regulators on Tuesday cleared the way for widespread use of advanced filtration and treatment facilities designed to convert sewage waste into pure drinking water that can be pumped directly into systems feeding millions of household taps.

Proven technologies capable of recycling wastewater for human consumption, a concept once derided by critics as “toilet to tap”, have gained greater credence in recent years as water-conscious California faces worsening drought cycles from climate change.