Reporters Discover Wastewater
The media has re-discovered SoCal wastewater this week:
- From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking - NY Times
- Soon On Tap – Purified Sewer Water – OC Register
- OC Prepares to Open Faucet – KNBC
- Plant to Make Sewer Water Drinkable – UPI
- In Orange County, Don’t Call it Toilet-to-Tap – KCRW
- Saving Water After it Goes to Waste – Marketplace, Public Radio International
The folks at the Orange County Groundwater Replinishment District are doing well with the attention. They’re unflappable, professional and the news stories underline the fact the water is clean, pure, meets all health requirements and is desperately needed around here. I’m not sure the media grasps the important fact that all tap water is “toilet-to-tap.” The city upstream from you used some of that water before you did.
San Diego LAT reporter Tony Perry’s quote on KCRW is very good… “Frankly, people don’t believe (in recycling water)… We live in a fools paradise ‘We’ve always had water and we’re going to always continue to have water…’”
Slate blogger William Saletan posted this boilerplate summary of water recycling:
U.S. cities are recycling sewage into drinking water. “A dozen” localities do it, and more are considering it. Reasons: drought, growth, and water overuse. Methods: “microfilters to remove solids,” “reverse osmosis,” and “peroxide and ultraviolet light.” Euphemisms: “reclaimed water,” “gray water,” “indirect potable water reuse,” “Groundwater Replenishment System.” Non-euphemism: “toilet to tap.” Objections: 1) It’s crap. 2) You can’t really clean out all the filth, can you? 3) It’s expensive. 4) The public doesn’t want it. 5) We’d rather limit growth. Rebuttals: 1) The final product “exceeds drinking water standards.” 2) It’s no more expensive than buying the water. 3) We don’t send the final product straight to your tap; we send it through a bunch of other mumbledy mumbledy mumbledy before it gets to your tap. 4) If your water comes from the Mississippi or Colorado Rivers (or Sacramento Delta), you’re already drinking treated sewage.
- Alec
[...] mainstream media seems focused on this topic with the NY Times featuring OCWD’s Groundwater Replenishment System last week. Perhaps a sea-change in attitudes is [...]