METHODS TO DELIVER DROUGHT-PROOF SUPPLIES TO THE REGION

Anaheim is striving to secure sustainable water supplies for its residential and commercial/industrial customers. Sustainable water supplies are necessary for economic development and growth of the region. To provide long-term sustainable water supplies, Anaheim needs to develop drought-proof water supplies for potable and non-potable usage. This can be done by developing more efficient means and technologies for water conservation, water reuse, and seawater desalination.

Affordable technologies for improving water conservation, rain harvesting, water recycling/reuse, and seawater desalination are highly in demand to develop local drought-proof water supplies. Low-cost devices, such as smart timers, would be very helpful in reducing outdoor water use. Smart timers are weather-based devices that control irrigation time based on evapotranspiration data, physical features of the irrigated area, irrigation emitters, landscaping (plants and turfs), and soil.

Simple methods for capturing and using rainfall or recycling gray water in homes and apartment buildings are extremely desirable in reducing the demand on water supplies. Gray water treatments range from low (e.g. simple screening and sand filtration) to high end (e.g. membrane bioreactor technology) processes. The effectiveness of these systems is still being analyzed in California and further demonstration and innovation still appears necessary.

In addition, more affordable means of developing new sources of water by seawater desalination or water recycling is highly desirable. Specifically, in fully built-out cities, there should be an increasing need to install smaller-scale recycled water treatment plants for irrigation and toilet flushing. Moreover, these systems can also reduce the stress on existing sewer systems and potentially reduce the need for expensive sewer capacity upgrades in the future.