• Water Quality
• Water Quality FAQ
• Water Supply
• Sewer / Wastewater
• Recycled Water
• Backflow Prevention
• Urban Runoff
• Facilities
• Construction Projects
• Urban Water Management Plan
• Research Business Plan
• Water and Your Pipes

Innovative Approach. Reliable Source.

Here at IRWD, we believe that water is too valuable to be used just once. IRWD is truly a pioneer in the use of recycled water. Water recycling is an essential component of our water supply portfolio, as any demand met with recycled water reduces the demand for high-quality drinking water. Currently, IRWD meets roughly 21 percent of our service area’s water demands with recycled water. The use of recycled water extends our drinking water supplies, reduces the need for additional potable water facilities, reduces the amount of treated wastewater discharged into the ocean, reduces our reliance on costly imported water supplies, and increases our water supply reliability. In fact, the use of recycled water is a key component of IRWD's conservation and water use efficiency programs as every gallon of recycled water used results in a gallon of drinking water that can be saved for potable uses.

Recycled water production uses settling and biological treatment to duplicate nature’s own cleaning processes. It takes about 16 to 18 hours to produce recycled water – from the time the wastewater enters the plant until the finished product is disinfected and ready for distribution. All recycled water produced at IRWD facilities meets or exceeds state and federal mandates.

Once treated, recycled water is delivered throughout the IRWD service area through our extensive recycled water distribution system. Our dual distribution system, which keeps recycled water completely separate from drinking water, uses internationally recognized purple pipe infrastructure to easily identify recycled water systems. In fact, IRWD pioneered the use of purple piping which has become the international symbol for recycled water.  

The primary uses of recycled water are agricultural and landscape irrigation including parks, school grounds, golf courses, freeway landscaping and irrigation of common areas managed by homeowner associations. Recycled water is also used for front and backyard irrigation in large residential lots, for industrial processes, and for toilet flushing and cooling towers in dozens of dual-plumbed office buildings.

Recycled Water Contact Information

Alex Harris
Recycled Water Supervisor
(949) 453-5576
harris@irwd.com