State Senator Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, is taking a practical step toward addressing California's chronic drought issues by introducing a new bill to enhance the use of recycled water throughout the state. In an effort dubbed SB 31, the legislation proposes to increase the use of recycled water for irrigation and a broader range of applications, including various commercial purposes. According to Senator Jerry McNerney's official statement, the move looks to push the state toward more sustainable water practices amidst the escalating climate crisis.

California's laws mandate using recycled water for landscaping and similar purposes wherever it's available. However, McNerney's bill seeks to further this usage, streamlining regulations for decorative features such as golf course lakes and easing requirements for homeowners' associations. To avoid the pitfalls of what McNerney calls "water wars," his bill is seen as a unified step forward to make the most of the state's water reserves. Resonating this message, Governor Gavin Newsom's Water Supply Strategy has already positioned water recycling as a crucial element in the state's drought resilience plan.

California, already utilizing over 700,000 acre-feet of recycled water each year, finds itself saving an equivalent amount of drinking water that could serve approximately 1.4 million households, an impressive feat but one that needs expanding. The proposed bill, SB 31, seeks to facilitate this process, reducing park regulatory hurdles and ensuring that food-handling facilities can leverage recycled water for non-food contact purposes such as toilet flushing and outdoor irrigation.