US-DROUGHT-WATER RECYCLING

Ron Wildermuth, public information officer at West Basin Municipal Water District (WBMWD) water recycling facility in El Segundo, California, September 14, 2015 shows the waste water recycling facility's ultraviolet light treatment process, the last stage of a three-part water purification system involving microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light treatment to transform waste water into potable water. The finished product is then sent underground to replenish the areas aquifers where it mixes with the natural underground water supply which feeds wells. Critics call the method toilet to tap but the final product is more pure than tap or bottled water and exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards according to WBMWD. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK. (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)