San Jose Water begins $3M test of recycled water as future drinking source

San Jose Water has announced plans to test a new system that could turn recycled wastewater into drinking water, part of a broader effort to strengthen Silicon Valley’s long-term water supply as drought and climate pressures grow across the western United States.

The private utility will launch a proof-of-concept demonstration of direct potable reuse, or DPR, an advanced treatment process that purifies recycled wastewater to meet California’s recently adopted regulations for drinking water use, according to SJW officials on Wednesday.