Indirect Potable Reuse in Orange County, California

The Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), located in Orange County, California, USA, provides purified recycled water for aquifer recharge to replenish supplies and to prevent seawater intrusion. A joint project between the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), it is the largest indirect potable reuse project of its kind in the world. The GWRS treats and reuses wastewater that, in the past, had been discharged to the ocean. The water is reused to provide protection against drought and as a means of achieving a sustainable water supply.