‘Poop Water’ Floated as Solution to Santa Barbara County’s Water Woes

With Some Aquifers at Historic Lows, Toilet-to-Tap Options Weighed During Annual Groundwater Report

Supervisor Das Williams says the technology to clean "poop water" took less energy, was a simpler process, and was cheaper than desalination. It's just the community "ick" factor that holds it back. | Credit: Courtesy

A fascinating if dismal report of the state of Santa Barbara County aquifers went to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, prompting an odd “poop-fest” of a discussion of toilet-to-tap options, which are technically called “indirect potable reuse.”

The yearly report showed charts spanning decades of groundwater-level information, with the last nine years of drought taking a serious toll across the county — several aquifers were said to be at historic lows — except in part of Cuyama Valley, and in Santa Barbara and Montecito.

The Cuyama Valley wells show regions that have not been much used and are stable, and others — notably deeper wells in northwest region — affected by agriculture since 2016. | Credit: Courtesy

While Supervisor Gregg Hart observed that the desal plant allowed Santa Barbara and Montecito to conserve their groundwater, Supervisor Das Williams said, “It’s easier to clean poop water than to clean salt water,” after pointing to everyone’s water on the dais and saying: “I have news for everybody. That water on that desk over there, that has been poop water, too, at some point in the past million years. It doesn’t matter what it was at one time, it matters what processes were done to make it clean enough for drinking now.” The technology to clean “poop water” took less energy, was a simpler process, and was cheaper, Williams said. It’s just the community “ick” factor that holds it back.