Published: Apr 29, 2020 | 11:12 AM

IRWD Drinking Water and Recycled Water Are Safe

We want to assure our customers that your drinking water is safe and reliable. The same holds true for recycled water, which is used primarily for watering public landscape.

Standard treatment processes for both drinking and recycled water eliminate microorganisms and viruses. The coronavirus is particularly susceptible to these disinfection methods.

• Drinking water: Most of IRWD’s drinking water comes from deep groundwater wells, which do not contain viruses or other pathogenic organisms.  Some of our water supply is imported surface water, which receives advanced water treatment that removes all microorganisms including viruses. All water is dosed with chlorine before entering the water distribution system to ensure that it stays safe through our system to your home.
• Recycled water: Recycled water is water that has been safely treated for reuse after it goes down the drain. It is used for irrigation of public landscape, toilet-flushing in some commercial buildings, air-conditioning cooling towers, and for industrial applications such as concrete production and composting. Although recycled water is not for drinking, it undergoes similar treatment processes to remove pathogens. Sewage treatment systems are specifically designed to remove pathogenic organisms prior to recycling or discharge to the environment.

U.S. and California water regulations require treatment processes that eliminate micro-organisms such as viruses that may spread disease. They also require that water suppliers demonstrate compliance with continuous monitoring of the water supply.

Ongoing testing is a part of the oversight: IRWD water quality staff continuously monitors our water supply, conducting more than a quarter of a million laboratory tests each year on water taken from more than 100 sample points.

We have a state-of-the-art and certified Water Quality Laboratory.  IRWD's commitment to innovation makes it one of the best-equipped water labs in Southern California. Drinking water test results are published in the Annual Water Quality report and show that IRWD drinking water meets or exceeds all quality standards set by both the state and federal government.

More information:

• Drinking water safety.
• Recycled water safety.