San Diego Will Recycle Sewage Into Drinking Water, Mayor Declares

Within five years, San Diegans will be sipping and bathing in water recycled from sewage, city officials declared Wednesday. A deal between local environmental groups and city officials to pursue a plan known as Pure Water San Diego, in lieu of upgrades to an aging wastewater treatment facility, seems to be coming to fruition after more than two decades of brainstorming, formal planning and small-scale testing of water purification technologies. Both projects carry hefty price tags: at least $3 billion for the water-recycling system and roughly $2 billion for the facility overhaul.