{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Flanigan's Eco-Logic","title":"David Pedersen, PE - Wastewater for Potable Re-Use Now Has High Value In California","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1965,"description":"David Pedesen is the General Manager of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and the Administrating Agent for the Las Virgenes - Triunfo Joint Powers Authority. These two agencies are developing the PURE Water Project and are building a $466 million facility that will take wastewater and purify it into potable water. Given his municipal water agency's dependence on State Water Project allocations from Northern California four hundred miles away, under his leadership, Las Virgenes is diversifying the water sources that it delivers to 100,000 customers.\nThe conversation starts with the big picture: Fully 71% of the Earth's surface is covered with water. But 95% of this water is saltwater. Only 5% is freshwater and of this, 68% is locked up in ice caps. Clearly access to fresh water is problematic around the world, and especially so in Southern California where the effects of climate change are causing more severe droughts and shortages, followed by flooding. Given this reality, water agencies have been exploring alternative sources... from the low-hanging fruit of water conservation, to far-out ideas like tapping and piping waters from Alaskan Rivers proposed in 1991.\nThe discussion turns to desalination, a logical pursuit given the Las Virgenes service territory and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. During water shortages in 1922, hundreds of concerned residents and businesses questioned asked about this opportunity... especially as it has been employed worldwide. While its costs of approximately a half penny per gallon compares to the PURE project --  Dave explains that there are environmental factors that hinder such desalination developments... from the need for a coastal footprint to industrial desalination plants, to water intakes sucking in fish and other marine life, to concentrated brine being discharged into the ocean. But paramount is the reality that it is energy intensive... exacerbating climate change.\nThe PURE Water Project builds on Las...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/7kUbICrzk0aEuZffrVBGprBuBqZJlmqp9h-fda_2pHg/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzM1MTQ0LzE3MTE1/NjgzMTctYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}