About Recycled Water
Recycled water is an integral part of San Diego's future water supply, along with conservation, desalination and groundwater resource development. In a climate with little rainfall and a growing population, reusing wastewater in the local community offsets the need to purchase imported water to be used for non-drinking purposes. Recycling water provides important environmental and recreational benefits to a community. Every gallon of recycled water used for irrigation saves drinking water supplies.

Padre Dam produces two million gallons of recycled water every day. Approximately one million gallons per day goes into the seven lakes at Santee Lakes. The rest of the recycled water produced at our Water Recycling Facility is used on irrigation for community parks, schools, city streetscapes and community decorative fountains.

Is Recycled Water Safe to Drink?
Padre Dam’s recycled water meets Title 22 standards and is approved for full body contact recreation and accidental ingestion, however it is not approved for drinking water consumption. Producing recycled water that is safe to drink requires additional treatment. Residents of Orange County, California, drink recycled water treated with reverse osmosis, injected into a groundwater basin, then treated again prior to distribution.

Future Recycled Water Uses
Padre Dam continues to research and analyze additional ways to use recycled water in the future. Recycled water provides a great option for expanding local supplies as water supply challenges continue to prevail throughout California and the Southwest.

Recycled Water Mains & Services
Recycled water mains and services are color-coded purple so that they can be easily identified by utility crews, contractors and the public. Sites using recycled water must notify the public with purple signs such as the one on this page.