P u b l i c H e a lt h
A concerned patient comes in with an article about Pure Water San Diego and asks you if this toilet-to-tap water will harm them or their family. The questions and answers below will help you understand this new local drinking water supply source so you can provide excellent care to your patients. Is the Pure Water San Diego program “toilet to tap”? No. The water purification process involves a sophisticated, tried-and-true, technological process that further cleans recycled water so it is similar to distilled water before it is added to drinking water taps. Additionally, the newly purified water is subject to strict testing requirements and is monitored continuously to ensure it meets drinking water standards. Since there is no new water on Earth, all water goes through a natural cycle and is essentially recycled water before it is treated, tested, and then returned to homes and businesses as drinking water. What is the source water for the Advanced Water Purification Facility? The source water is reclaimed or recycled water from the North City Water Reclamation Plant. When wastewater leaves homes and businesses, some of it is sent to this facility where it is further cleaned to a level safe for irrigation and industrial purposes — it has been “reclaimed” and can now be “recycled” for a variety of irrigation or industrial uses. This same water will be sent to the Advanced Water Purification Facility to be cleaned further and made drinkable.
So Your Patient Asks About Toilet to Tap … by James Beaubeaux, SDCMS COO and CFO
6
september 2015
What are the steps of the water purification process? The water purification process includes membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation through the use of ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide. Is Pure Water San Diego proven to be safe? Yes. Since August 2011, one million gallons of purified water have been produced and tested daily at the City’s Advanced Water Purification Facility. More than 28,000 laboratory tests have been conducted on 342 chemical and microbial constituents and water quality parameters. All samples have confirmed that the purified water meets all federal and state drinking water standards. Does the Pure Water advanced water purification process remove pharmaceuticals and personal care products? Yes. The presence of pharmaceuticals and