Technological advances are commonly fueled by a need or purpose associated with it. Water recycling is no different. California is in the midst of a drought with no relief in place. Our lakes, reservoirs and other sources of clean water are drying up rapidly. Thanks to water conservation programs, Californians already use 25% less water per capita than the country average. However, with the growth of the population and the growth of the agricultural sector, this is no longer sufficient. Fortunately we have the opportunity or the technology to take it a step further. By reusing our water we can reduce the amount of fresh water needed. Recycled water is wastewater that is treated to remove solids and other impurities. This recycled water can then be used for many beneficial purposes such as agricultural and landscape irrigation, toilet flushing, and replenishing freshwater sources. Wastewater treatment can be customized to meet specific water quality requirements, and there have been no documented cases of health problems resulting from contact with recycled water that had been adequately treated. So, with these practices we can ensure that our water is safer, cleaner and more sustainable. Water recycling is not a fantasy, it is a proven practice. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Association PVWMA has operated approximately 20 miles of distribution pipelines for years to supply recycled water to 95 agricultural water users in the 8,000-acre coastal area. Recycled water, from the city's recycling plant, can be mixed with drinking water and other groundwater sources, prior to irrigation, in order to meet water quality goals. This treatment plant serves Watsonville and three...... middle of paper......neration and generations to come.Works CitedAsano, Takashi. Water reuse: problems, technologies and applications. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. EBSCOHost ebook collection. Network. April 27, 2014Chartres, Colin John and Samyuktha Varma. Without water: from abundance to scarcity and how to solve the world's water problems. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT, 2011. Print.Hering, Janet G., T. David Waite, Richard G. Luthy, Jörg E. Drewes, and David L. Sedlak. “An evolving framework for urban water systems.” Environmental Science and Technology 47.19 (2013): 10721-0726. Print.“Research on safe and sustainable water resources”. US Environmental Protection Agency. EPA, 2012. Web May 10. 2014Shah, Kavita Nandi Ipsita and Singh Nidhi. “Towards water security through sustainable management of water resources”. Current Science 106.6 (2014): Academic research completed. Web20 Apr. 2014