Where Will Your Water Come From In The Future?

Civil authorities in California are looking at ways to treat sewage water so that it will become potable water.

Fearing water shortages they are looking at a system to filter, chemical treatment, and UV light treatment to turn sewage into potable water. They say this treatment will turn the "dirty" water into water that exceeds drinking water standards.

But, this water won't be re-introduced into your water pipes, but will be pumped back into the ground and re- introduced into the aquifer.

Toilet Water: Not Just for Cats Anymore

"Indirect potable water reuse," as it is called, is apparently an idea that's getting some serious attention in drought prone areas. Without knowing exactly how citizens will react to this idea, city councils in San Jose and San Diego are both exploring it as an option. The process includes chemicals, heavy scrubbing filters, and UV light, resulting in a product that management officials say exceeds drinking water standards. Even so, the water doesn't go directly to the tap, instead it's pumped underground to be eventually reintroduced into aquifers.

Whether or not it's a good idea to drink this water remains to be seen. The idea of pumping it into our pristine aquifers seems even more suspect.

I know that they can treat sewage water and make it drinkable, but I'm not too sure that pumping it back into the aquifers is such a good idea. What happens if some sort of mishap occurs, then they could be pumping this "polluted" water into these "pristine" aquifers.

Location, location, location.........

My water will continue to come from Lake Ontario, and my city ranks one of the highest in water quality in the country. I have no issue with pumping clean water back into the aquifer in California or anywhere else. Not only is it treated before being pumped back into the ground, but it is treated again before it goes back into the supply system. Replenishing the aquifer prevents subsidence of the land above and is a benefit for anyone living or farming above that land.

People working in space will need to recycle every drop of water they can just because of the economics involved in lifting water out of Earth's gravity well. Doing the same on Earth only makes sense to me when you consider the amount of gray water that just flows out to the oceans and lakes, or all that fairly clean rain water and runoff that also just escapes our use to become salty after reaching the ocean.

It's probably cheaper to process what we have than to run desalination plants to make potable water pumped from the sea.

Well I reckon all the water will be restricted and saved by some huge multi national conglomerates that will charge me an arm and a leg to get a wee drop

It is already happening in SA, AUST. Don't want to start another conspiracy where one doesn't exist BUT in SA three orgs have the contract of our water. Today they just brought in legislation preventing further Bore Water applications to ensure supply!!

yeah right...!!!!!!

It is just another utility to make money off...

Here in So Cal we already used "reclaimed" water to irrigate parks, and many public spaces. I know in the LBC we have done so for a while

I'm really not worried though considering that 70+% of the planet is water. Of course we won't fully utilize desalinization techniques until we're forced to, but that won't be for another 25-50 years, in the meantime just keep worrying about petroleum.