Resident urges pause on Carlsbad recycled‑water expansion, cites health data gaps

Mike Barillo, a Carlsbad resident, told the City Council during public comment that the city should pause expansion of its recycled‑water “purple pipe” system until independent, large‑scale epidemiological studies measure potential health effects.

“We deserve better than being uninformed subjects in an ill‑conceived uncontrolled [experiment],” Barillo said, urging the council to “hit pause on the further pipe expansion” until those studies are completed. He cited a 2021 cross‑connection at Hope Elementary that briefly delivered recycled water to students and said that, while Title 22 treatment standards are followed “on paper,” they rely heavily on modeling rather than large cohort studies that measure “all‑cause respiratory illness.”

Barillo described spray heads near condo windows, instances of misting on sidewalks and the limits of quantitative risk models for some pathogens. He told the council he filed a writ of mandamus in June 2025 that is ongoing and asked staff and elected officials to consider independent health research before enlarging the treatment and irrigation footprint.

City staff did not offer immediate policy changes in response during public comment. The council did not take formal action on the topic during the meeting; it was raised as a public‑comment appeal for the council’s consideration.

Why it matters: Carlsbad is actively expanding its recycled‑water distribution; calls for independent human‑health research highlight concerns about reliance on treatment standards and modeling rather than large cohort studies that compare exposed and unexposed populations. The council will have opportunities to weigh those concerns as related agenda items return to staff for future consideration.