In response to concern raised by industry the Department of Public Health (DPH) has reversed an interpretation issued by a local DPH engineer that would have prohibited the use of recycled water in commercial buildings that contain a cafeteria or snack bar facility. Many commercial buildings in California are now using recycled water in bathrooms, cooling towers and for landscaping purposes. Regulations adopted by the Department of Public Health prohibit the use of recycled water within large-scale food processing facilities. However, those same DPH regulations make it clear that this prohibition does not apply to “cafeterias or snack bars”.
Earlier this year, a local DPH engineer rejected a proposed use of recycled water in a six-story office building because one of the floors contained a cafeteria facility. Industry objected to this local interpretation and brought it to the attention of the state DPH office which promptly issued a statement indicating that the proposed use of recycled water was indeed acceptable under California’s health and safety regulations.
