Drinking toilet water may lie ahead as California struggles in drought

As climate change and water scarcity become increasingly urgent issues around the world, governments are turning to new options to ensure adequate water supplies — including turning sewage waste into drinking water.

And if you’re in California, that may soon be flowing from your kitchen tap.

The State Water Resources Control Board on Tuesday voted to allow water companies to pump treated wastewater into residents’ taps in the populous, drought-prone state.

In a statement, the board said the decision would give California “the most advanced standards in the nation for treating wastewater to such an extent that the finished product meets or exceeds current drinking water standards.”

“This is an exciting development in the state’s ongoing efforts to find innovative solutions to the challenges of extreme weather driven by climate change,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, the chair of the board.

Members unanimously approved the new regulations on Tuesday after years of discussions and just before a deadline set six years ago for the state to adopt regulations for reusing wastewater by the end of 2023. After the new rules are finalized next year, water companies will be able to submit plans for projects to be approved by the board.

The new steps will save energy and benefit the environment, Esquivel said, adding “these regulations ensure that the water produced is not only safe, but purer than many drinking water sources we now rely on.”

Under the new regulations approved Tuesday, any water being recycled this way must undergo at least three separate treatment processes and will be monitored for pathogens.