During week of July 10, 2023 the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) released an advanced copy of the proposed Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) regulations (Advanced Copy Proposed DPR Regulations). SWRCB expects the formal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to be published this week (July 21, 2023) for a 45 day public comment period. An advanced copy of the supporting document Initial Statement of Reasons has not yet been posted.
Background
AB 574, signed into law in October 2017, required that the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) adopt uniform criteria for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) by December 31, 2023. “Direct potable reuse is the planned introduction of recycled water either directly into a public water system or into a raw water supply immediately upstream of a water treatment plant.” The bill required that before adopting the criteria, the SWRCB submit the criteria to an Expert Panel for review.
In June 2021 the SWRCB and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) convened an expert review panel as required by Section 13561.2 of the Water Code to review DDW’s proposed DPR criteria. The charge of the expert panel was to review the proposed criteria (regulations) for DPR and make a finding as to whether, in its expert opinion, the proposed criteria would adequately protect public health. The Expert Panel held public meetings on August 24 and 25, 2021, December 1, 2021; January 28, 2022; and February 28, 2022. In March 2022 the DPR Expert Panel released a draft memorandum presenting their review and recommendations of the draft DPR criteria. DDW staff prepared and posted a response to the Expert Panel’s draft memo. In July 2022 the SWRCB posted the Memorandum of Findings: Expert Panel Preliminary Findings and Recommendations on Draft DPR Criteria. “The Panel’s Preliminary….Finding is that the Early Draft of Anticipated Criteria for Direct Potable Reuse dated August 17, 2021, adequately protects public health.”
Additional Information Can Be Found Here:
Link to the SWRCB’s DPR website:
https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/certlic/drinkingwater/direct_potable_reuse.html
