CalVal is developing uniform guidance documents that water utilities can rely on for permitting new potable reuse projects.
California’s journey toward diversifying, expanding, and maintaining healthy drinking water supplies reached a new milestone with the recent adoption of direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations. Decades of research led to this important milestone, which enables water utilities to implement potable reuse projects throughout the state.
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To support new potable reuse projects, a consistent approach is needed that: a. maintains public health at all times, b. provides regulatory, engineering, and utility confidence in treatment facility performance, and c. accelerates the regulatory review process and eliminates duplicative regulatory burdens. ​
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CalVal is that approach.​
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​The CalVal project has been awarded funding from the Water Research Foundation (WRF), along with utility and consultant contributions.
CalVal is an ongoing effort to use current water treatment best practices, emerging design principles, and California-specific research to engage the water reuse community. National water reuse leaders along with drinking water and recycled water regulators in California will develop guidance for practical implementation of potable reuse, including DPR.
This guidance is critical to permitting all forms of potable reuse in California in a consistent and clear manner that protects public health. For water utilities, the guidance will provide consistency in establishing critical controls, alarms, communications, and maintenance standards that are required for safe operations and regulatory compliance.
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