Does Public Outreach Help Or Hinder Acceptance Of Recycled Wastewater As A Drinking Water Source?

When California’s AB2022 went into effect earlier this year, allowing the bottling of advanced purified reused water for educational purposes, Orange County Water District (OCWD) and Orange County Sanitation District began the #GetOverIt! campaign to continue to push for consumer acceptance of recycled water systems.

A number of major players in the water industry have supported the campaign, most notably WEF President Rick Warner taking a swig during the opening ceremony of this year’s WEFTEC.  But as the water industry embraces recycled wastewater, how are we doing at getting local communities past the “yuck” factor?