Pure Water Monterey

PURE WATER MONTEREY ADVANCED RECYCLING PROJECT

Pure Water Monterey (PWM) is an advanced water recycling project jointly developed by Monterey One Water, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, and the Marina Coast Water District. It supplies the Monterey Peninsula with one-third of its drinking water from a clean, safe, and sustainable source. It also provides irrigation water for California’s most fertile area, the Salinas Valley.

When completed in late 2025, the fully-funded Pure Water Monterey Expansion will further reduce dependence on the Carmel River and increase the supply of recycled water for the Peninsula to over half of its total annual needs. That will help fulfill the drinking water requirements for housing, jobs, growth, and drought mitigation on the Monterey Peninsula for decades.

The PWM project is the first to utilize not only wastewater, but also stormwater, food industry processing water, and impaired surface waters. It emphasizes proven and reliable water recycling technology, replenishment of the groundwater supply, and protection of the environment. The project also reduces water use from the Carmel River and the Seaside Basin, helping meet regulatory orders and enhancing water supply reliability by diversifying local water sources.

PWM’s purified water complies with or exceeds strict state and federal drinking water standards. The purification process includes:

  • Membrane filtration.
  • Reverse osmosis.
  • Oxidation with hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light.
  • Natural percolation into the groundwater basin.

This technology has been proven safe and reliable throughout the United States and the world.

For more information on this project, please visit: purewatermonterey.org.