Water. Desalination + reuse
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1019735
• Wastewater recycling is critical to resilience • Political rhetoric set back public understanding • Outreach campaign to influence opinion Los Angeles wants to recycle more of its wastewater, but how does it convince a dubious public? Southern California has been hit by prolonged droughts over the past decade, and though conservation efforts have stabilised domestic water demand, despite population growth, wastewater recycling will be critical to securing its future needs. This will be a challenge given that authorities have struggled in the past to convince the community of the benefits of indirect potable reuse. In fact, Los Angeles completed a reclamation plant capable of providing water to 120,000 homes (the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant in Van Nuys) in 2000, but the plan was abandoned a†er people dismissed it as "toilet to tap." Traci Minamide, chief operating officer at LA Sanitation and Environment told Water. desalination + reuse: "Historically, some local politicians have opposed the idea of water recycling, which set back the agenda. One of them campaigned against potable reuse as a key part of his platform to become mayor, which resulted in a 'yuck factor' reaction." Learning from these experiences, One Water LA 2040 made public outreach a critical part of its process. Stakeholder outreach meetings and town hall events were held by over 80 neighborhood councils, 15 council districts, and more than a dozen local, state, and federal agencies. Public acceptance Tillman is the focus of another proposed project, as part of One Water LA 2040, that would increase potable water through the advanced treatment of groundwater. To help gauge public opinion, LA Sanitation kicked off a Water.desalination+reuse September 2018 On Site 21 major public outreach effort in spring 2018 with three, three-hour-long focus group sessions during which people representing different sections of the community responded to questions about messaging, how the idea of recycled water resonates, and how project backers should talk about it. A telephone survey gained further insight into public attitudes. helping LA Sanitation to cra† its message. "We're using it as a sounding board to figure out the general representation of the public, and what are the best approaches to raise awareness of recycled water," says Minamide. "The plan is to create a strategic campaign for outreach, whether print, websites, television, or radio." Awareness of what "recycled water" means has improved significantly in LA in recent years, and there is better public understanding of the science, and the requirements for public health review before water is permitted for consumption. "People endured three droughts in the past 30 years and were placed on water restrictions, so there is a better understanding of what can happen if we don't build resiliency," says Minamide. In other words, the thirst for change could be what drives public acceptance. Communication Historically, certain local politicians opposed water recycling, which set back the agenda Traci Minamide, chief operating officer at LA Sanitation and Environment