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Alternative Water Supplies in California Alternative Water Supplies in California FEBRUARY 2018 Henry McCann, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Kurt Schwabe Alternative supplies are a small but important part of the state’s water portfolio. [...] Alternative water sources―recycled wastewater, urban stormwater, and desalinated seawater and brackish water―now provide 2–3% of the state’s urban and farm water supply, and they are growing rapidly. [...] Water managers traditionally rely on a mix of surface water and groundwater to meet water supply needs. [...] Storing recycled water in groundwater basins is already authorized, and it will soon be possible to store recycled water in surface reservoirs. [...] Surface water costs: calculated by the authors using data from the Water Storage Investment Program of the California Water Commission.