Treated Wastewater Just as Safe to Drink as Existing Water Supplies
A report by the National Resource Council has concluded that treated wastewater is no more detrimental to human health than water from existing supplies, according to USA Today. The report also details that in some cases, treated wastewater might be safer to drink in addition to being a more viable solution as the U.S. population continues to increase.
Similarly, the reuse of wastewater will become more and more crucial, especially in areas marked by water scarcity like Texas and Southern California. With the release of this report, here are some facts about water use in the U.S. and projects that are adopting the practice of turning wastewater into potable water:
Treated Wastewater Just as Safe to Drink as Existing Water Supplies
* The U.S. Geologic Survey's most recent report notes that in 2005, about 410 billion gallons of water per day were withdrawn for all uses ranging from irrigation to public water supplies.
* Most of the U.S. population obtains their household water from fresh surface-water sources and nearly 30 percent of all fresh surface-water withdrawals occurred in five states: California, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, and Illinois.
* The daily indoor per capita water use is 69.3 gallons with toilet use making up 26.7 percent of total daily use, followed by clothes washer (21.7 percent), showers (16.8 percent), and faucets (15.7 percent), according to the American Water Works Association.
* The average household uses 127,400 gallons every year for both indoor and outdoor uses, which translates to about 350 gallons per day.
* Since the idea of turning wastewater into potable water was first proposed, concerns were raised over the potential health risks, according to an article from Environmental Health Perspectives.
* Additionally, scientists have added that existing water supplies don't automatically mean cleaner, purer water and may be contaminated with pesticides, biological pathogens, and heavy metals.
* In January 2008, Orange County, Calif., became one of the first places to establish a "toilet to tap" purification project known as the "Groundwater Replenishment System," reported Slate Magazine.
* The project specifically takes sewage water from bathrooms and purifies it through a $490 million system before discharging it into lakes, where it replenishes groundwater aquifers until it is finally extracted and sent back to households.
* UPI reported that in the midst of the devastating drought last year, more Texas towns turned to developing projects that turn wastewater into potable water for residents.
* Big Spring, Texas, is building a $13 million water treatment plant that will open this year and produce 2 million gallons of drinking water from wastewater that is produced by households in Big Spring, Midland, Odessa, and Stanton.
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