Pushing the Boundaries for Reuse in California: Evaluating Emerging Innovative Technologies

Presentation Description: California’s ambitious water reuse goals demand rethinking of conventional treatment paradigms. Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs) are increasingly adopting advanced technologies to support water recovery and reuse, positioning themselves as alternative sources of both water and energy. These innovations help alleviate pressure on existing freshwater supplies and can reduce the energy and transportation costs associated with water extraction and distribution. Given that WRRFs already account for a substantial share of global electricity consumption and contribute to both CO₂ and non-CO₂ emissions, the demand for more energy-efficient and cost-effective reuse solutions is becoming increasingly urgent.
Over the past five years, a range of emerging water reuse technologies has been developed with the intent to substantially reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, overall carbon footprint, and both capital and operational expenditures. While these innovations show promise in advancing sustainable treatment practices, most remain in early stages of deployment and lack robust operational performance data under real-world conditions. The integration of novel processes aims to expand the feasibility and sustainability of reuse applications.
As part of a recent project funded by the California Energy Commission (CEC), three participating agencies—Linda County Water District, Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, and Silicon Valley Clean Water—will host technology demonstrations of five emerging innovative water reuse technologies. The selected technologies include:
• Taron Activated Sludge Filter (Taron ASF)
• Mita Cloth Media Filter (CMF)
• BeFlow Continuous Flow Aerobic Granular Sludge Reactor coupled with a Membrane Bioreactor (CFAGS + MBR)
• Ultrabore Ultra-Filtration Membrane
• Intelligent Micro-Disrupting Parallel and Cascading Train Reverse Osmosis (IMPACT-RO)
Each WRRF will utilize its existing tertiary treatment system as a performance benchmark, enabling comparative evaluation of energy efficiency, treatment efficacy, and operational feasibility across diverse process configurations. The project includes rigorous demonstration testing and performance validation under diverse feed conditions, with a focus on energy intensity, contaminant removal and operational resilience. By aligning innovation with regulatory foresight and decarbonization targets, these technology assessment projects aim to accelerate the deployment of next-generation reuse solutions across WRRFs and ultimately the path to significant increase in water reuse.