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The idea of turning waste water into drinking water is gaining momentum among government bodies in Southern California and across the nation, but regulators question how and when the concept will become palatable to the widespread public.

Local, state and federal officials discussed the environmental, health and financial impact of the sometimes derisively called “toilet to tap” technology, or recycled water reuse systems, during a panel session Tuesday at Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, as drought conditions and population concerns are pressing public agencies to come up with cost-effective and safe solutions to water supply problems.

Power structure: If a Los Angeles city councilman gets his way, the governance structure of the Department of Water and Power could be in for a major change. Councilman Felipe Fuentes wants to replace the commission that oversees the utility with a group of paid professionals.

The proposal would also take away the mayor and City Council’s ability to select and approve the DWP’s general manager. The changes could lead to “a focused, professional management system in place,” Fuentes said.

Halfway through the winter, more water is stored in California’s snowpack than is usual for this time of year – signaling that maybe, just maybe, this could be the year the drought eases.

With a strong El Niño, it’s not really surprising that winter rain has arrived in California. What’s notable is the location.

Forecasters say El Niño hasn’t yet stood us up on a date and that the much-hyped set of storms — characterized by unusually warm temperatures in the equatorial Pacific that bring above-average rainfall — will hit Southern California hard soon, after teasing us with a few days of rain in early January.

“It’s not really gone away,” said Brett Albright, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego. “It’s still out there. It’s a temperature phenomenon, and it has a progressive effect on the atmosphere.”

We are all hoping the current El Niño will bring an end to the drought. Whether or not we’ll continue to receive normal or above-normal precipitation is still a question, though an end to the drought may be unlikely this year. Whatever the outcome this year, future droughts are certain.

In 2014, California’s voters passed Proposition 1, a $7.12 billion water bond. While the bond contained $2.7 billion earmarked for water storage projects including dams and reservoirs, few if any such projects are currently under way.