Recycled Water - Expert Panel to Advise on Developing Uniform Recycling Criteria for Indirect Potable Reuse via Surface Water Augmentation and on the Feasibility of Developing Such Criteria for Direct Potable Reuse

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Role of the Expert Panel

Water Code sections 13560-13569 [SB 918 (Pavley), 2010, and SB 322 (Hueso), 2013] require us, to investigate and report to the Legislature on the feasibility of developing uniform water recycling criteria for direct potable reuse.

The law also requires an Expert Panel to be appointed to:

  1. Assess what, if any, additional areas of research are needed to be able to establish uniform water recycling criteria for direct potable reuse;
  2. Advise on public health issues and scientific and technical matters regarding development of uniform water recycling criteria for indirect potable reuse through surface water augmentation; and
  3. Advise on public health issues and scientific and technical matters regarding the feasibility of developing uniform water recycling criteria for direct potable reuse.

The Advisory Group on Feasibility of Developing Criteria for Direct Potable Reuse provided consultation on the selection of the members of the Expert Panel at its first meeting on February 21, 2014.

The Expert Panel will also receive input from the Advisory Group as it addresses item (3) above.

Expert Panel Final Report on the Evaluation of the Feasibility of Developing Uniform Water Recycling Criteria for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR)

The Expert Panel has submitted their recommendations to the State Water Board on the public health issues and the scientific and technical matters regarding the feasibility of developing uniform water recycling criteria for DPR.

In accordance with Water Code section 13566, the State Water Board has considered the recommendations of the Expert Panel and Advisory Group and prepared a draft Report to the Legislature. For more information on the Draft Report and how to provide public comments and attend public workshops, please visit the DDW Report to Legislature page.

Expert Panel Reports on Meeting Proceedings

Report on Meeting 9 (March 30-31, 2016 in Orange County, CA) and Meeting 10 (April 13-14, 2016 in Berkeley, CA)

Report on Meeting 8 (February 23-24, 2016 in Santa Clara, CA)

Report on Meeting 7 (December 1-2, 2015 in Irvine, CA)

Report on Meeting 6 (September 24, 2015 in Berkeley, CA)

Expert Panel Direct Potable Reuse Specialty Seminar (September 23, 2015 in Berkeley, CA) - Agenda
Presentations:

Report on Meeting 5 (June 2-3, 2015 in Orange County, CA)

Report on Meeting 4 (March 11-12, 2015 in Richmond, CA)

Report on Meeting 3 (December 11-12, 2014 in San Diego, CA)

Report on Meeting 2 (July 24-25, 2014 in Orange County)

Report on Meeting 1 (March 5, 2014)

Members of the Expert Panel

DDW has enlisted the assistance of the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) in the selection of the Expert Panel members. This document prepared by NWRI describes the proposed panel member selection process, as well as its role, activities, and final products.

The panel members are listed below. Click on their names to view biographical information.

Expert Panel Draft Key Research Recommendations Related to the Development of Uniform Water Recycling Criteria for Direct Potable Reuse

In 2010, the California Legislature enacted Senate Bill (SB) 918 (Chapter 700, Statutes of 2010), which added sections 13560-13569 (Division 7, Chapter 7.3) to the Water Code regarding potable reuse of recycled water. SB 918 defined the term “direct potable reuse” and directed the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to investigate the feasibility of developing uniform water recycling criteria for direct potable reuse (DPR). The responsibility for completing and submitting the final report to the Legislature was transferred to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) on July 1, 2014. SB 918 required that an expert panel be convened for the purposes of advising the State Water Board on public health issues and scientific and technical matters regarding the investigation.

In 2013, the Legislature enacted SB 322 (Chapter 637, Statutes of 2013), which amended Chapter 7.3 to require that an advisory group subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act be convened to advise the expert panel and the State Water Board in the development of the feasibility report. SB 322 additionally tasked the expert panel to (1) assess whether additional areas of research are needed to be able to establish uniform regulatory criteria for DPR, (2) recommend an approach for accomplishing any additional needed research in a timely manner, and (3) provide the recommendations to the State Water Board. Per SB 322, the State Water Board must summarize the recommendations of the Expert Panel in a report by June 30, 2016. The expert panel accomplished this task and has submitted the memorandum dated June 30, 2016. The State Water Board is posting the memorandum to fulfill the requirement in SB 322.

Please note that the Expert Panel’s final report referenced in the research recommendations memorandum will be available as an attachment to the State Water Board’s Report to Legislature available after September 1, 2016.

The State Water Board Division of Drinking Water will incorporate the key recommendations of the advisory group and the expert panel related to the feasibility of developing uniform water recycling criteria, as well as the other information that must be considered as specified in SB 918 and SB 322 in the Report to Legislature. A draft of the Report to Legislature will be provided for public comment on September 1, 2016, as required by SB 322. Public announcement of the availability of the State Water Board’s draft of the Report to Legislature on the feasibility of developing uniform water recycling criteria for DPR will be provided when it is posted.

More Information

Contact Information

Randy Barnard, P.E.
Senior Sanitary Engineer
(619) 525-4022
Randy.Barnard@waterboards.ca.gov