GETTING PUBLIC SUPPORT
California became just the second state in the United States to approve the process following Colorado, and joins a handful of countries including Singapore, Australia and South Africa.
With one in four people still lacking access to clean drinking water globally, efforts such as these could play a key role in conserving the precious resource, said observers.
They added that recycling sewage is more environmentally friendly, as it lowers the amount of waste dumped into rivers and oceans.
In addition to funding and building new facilities, part of the next phase will be winning over the public.
In San Jose, officials have opened the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center for public tours.
Ms Kirsten Struve, assistant officer for the water supply division at Santa Clara Valley Water District, said it is important to educate the public “as to how many technologies are involved in making the water really clean, how it really just enhances what nature would do anyway, because all water on earth is recycled”.
