Extreme drought, water scarcity and population growth is forcing California to seek out new water sources. Reclaimed water is considered one of the best alternatives to alleviate water shortages and help meet the water demand sustainably. However, the environmental impacts of reclaimed water have not been fully studied to ensure that the overall benefits of reclaimed water do indeed outweigh the environmental, social, and economic costs. In this study a life cycle assessment (LCA) for potable (direct and indirect) and nonpotable reuse will be conducted to identify and quantify major environmental, social, and economic problems that are attributed to reclaimed water. Additionally, recommendations will be made to achieve optimal benefits for California by suggesting the best type of reuse to help meet water needs of municipalities with minimal impacts.
","abstract_html":"<p>Extreme drought, water scarcity and population growth is forcing California to seek out new water sources. Reclaimed water is considered one of the best alternatives to alleviate water shortages and help meet the water demand sustainably. However, the environmental impacts of reclaimed water have not been fully studied to ensure that the overall benefits of reclaimed water do indeed outweigh the environmental, social, and economic costs. In this study a life cycle assessment (LCA) for potable (direct and indirect) and nonpotable reuse will be conducted to identify and quantify major environmental, social, and economic problems that are attributed to reclaimed water. Additionally, recommendations will be made to achieve optimal benefits for California by suggesting the best type of reuse to help meet water needs of municipalities with minimal impacts.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Estevez-Olea, Antonia"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Environmental Management (MSEM)","degree_level":"Project/Capstone - Global access","degree_discipline":"Environmental Management","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Cindy Lowney"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-05-22T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-05-22T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:04Z","subjects":["Life cycle assessment","potable reuse (direct and Indirect)","nonpotable","California","Water Resource Management"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/143","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Cindy Lowney"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Estevez-Olea, Antonia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-05-23T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Environmental Management"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Project/Capstone - Global access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Environmental Management (MSEM)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Life cycle assessment","potable reuse (direct and Indirect)","nonpotable","California","Water Resource Management"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/143"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Extreme drought, water scarcity and population growth is forcing California to seek out new water sources. Reclaimed water is considered one of the best alternatives to alleviate water shortages and help meet the water demand sustainably. However, the environmental impacts of reclaimed water have not been fully studied to ensure that the overall benefits of reclaimed water do indeed outweigh the environmental, social, and economic costs. In this study a life cycle assessment (LCA) for potable (direct and indirect) and nonpotable reuse will be conducted to identify and quantify major environmental, social, and economic problems that are attributed to reclaimed water. Additionally, recommendations will be made to achieve optimal benefits for California by suggesting the best type of reuse to help meet water needs of municipalities with minimal impacts.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Life Cycle Assessment of Reclaimed Water for Potable and Nonpotable Reuse in California"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Cindy Lowney"],"dc:creator":["Estevez-Olea, Antonia"],"dc:date.available":["2015-05-23T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Extreme drought, water scarcity and population growth is forcing California to seek out new water sources. Reclaimed water is considered one of the best alternatives to alleviate water shortages and help meet the water demand sustainably. However, the environmental impacts of reclaimed water have not been fully studied to ensure that the overall benefits of reclaimed water do indeed outweigh the environmental, social, and economic costs. In this study a life cycle assessment (LCA) for potable (direct and indirect) and nonpotable reuse will be conducted to identify and quantify major environmental, social, and economic problems that are attributed to reclaimed water. Additionally, recommendations will be made to achieve optimal benefits for California by suggesting the best type of reuse to help meet water needs of municipalities with minimal impacts.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://repository.usfca.edu/capstone/143"],"dc:subject":["Life cycle assessment","potable reuse (direct and Indirect)","nonpotable","California","Water Resource Management"],"dc:title":["Life Cycle Assessment of Reclaimed Water for Potable and Nonpotable Reuse in California"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Environmental Management"],"thesis:degree_level":["Project/Capstone - Global access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Environmental Management (MSEM)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:43:04Z"}