Santa Clara Officials Hope New Technology Will Help During Droughts

SAN JOSE (KCBS) – There will inevitably be periods of drought in the coming years in the Bay Area and the Santa Clara Valley Water District is looking to technology used in Southern California as a possible solution to combat the problem.

The technology provides treated water to the tap and involves a three step process: microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet disinfection.

KCBS' Margie Shafer Reports:

"We're building a similar type of plant to enhance the quality of our existing recycled water for non-potable purposes," said Santa Clara Valley Water District spokesman Marty Grimes. "And that plant is under construction."

Grimes said Orange County is way ahead of the curve and is using the technology for drinking water with great success. He said water supply requires long-range planning.

"We're looking at needing more water starting around 2025," said Grimes. "The possibility of going to indirect potable is at least 8-10 years out. But we might do a smaller pilot earlier like they're doing in San Diego."

Grimes said that while the treatment is more expensive than water from the ground, it is less expensive than desalination.

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