The NY Times Magazine this weekend had an article titled "A Tall, Cool Drink of...Sewage?" by Elizabeth Royte.
It is worth a read. It short, to the point and you might be surprised by your reaction. I was. Yes, I know how the city plumbing system works, but it is always good to be reminded and read it in black and white. Elizabeth took a tour of the Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System that superfilters Santa Ana's sewage until it is cleaner than rainwater, then pumps it 13 miles north into a small lake where it is then pumped into the sinks and showers of 2.3 million customers.
Here are some quotes:
"If you like the idea, you call it indirect potable reuse. If the idea revolts you, you call it toilet to tap."
"The stumbling block was psychological, not architectural."
"Last winter, the valve between the sewage plant and the drinking-water plant whooshed open, and a new era in California’s water history began."
"Anything that’s alive in this water can no longer reproduce."
"This final filtering step isn’t necessary, strictly speaking, but our psyches seem to demand it."
“The days are over when we can consider wastewater a liability,” says Peter Gleick, ..... "that means figuring out how best to use it.”
“We have to treat all waste as a resource.”
This prompted a discussion over at SuperForest, yielding a big "Yuck!". But why? Really, nothing we drink is totally pure. It is best not to think about it. This is our current state. But, SuperForester Jackson noted that this is not what the future needs to be. Yes, it would take A LOT to redo how we process our waste and water, but in the bigger scheme of things (say 200 years), it's not too much and definitely worth it. We can start now and we'll have a better system in place by 2208.
So, let's start making the necessary changes now. Rainwater Harvesting? Composting Toilets? Check out Jackson's previous post on Clivus Multrum toilets. The future is now.
Happy Monday!
Niki
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