Recycled water: part of the 21st century solution, says editorial
Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on May 10, 2008 at 6:21 amFrom Inside the Bay Area, this editorial written by Contra Costa County Times staff:
In the past decades most of the strategies for meeting the water needs of a growing economy and population has been met via what experts call the “hard path”. This has involved developing new sources of water by building massive dams, aqueducts, canals and large water treatment plants. The past century has been the era of “build and grow” as far as meeting our water needs are concerned. Undoubtedly the “hard path” has produced enormous benefits such as clean water supplies, irrigation and better health in our state and the nation.
Peter Gleick of the Oakland-based Pacific Research Institute correctly points out that despite building these grand infrastructures, we have not solved our water-related problems and we have been saddled with large scale ecological damage as well as destruction to many of our most scenic locations.
On a worldwide basis, despite billions of dollars in investment, more than 1 billion people lacked access to clean drinking water at the end of the 20th century. In the 21st century we need to think in terms of the “soft path” — one which seeks to improve the productivity of water use and match delivery of water to the needs of the users instead of just seeking new supplies of water, as Nature magazine had pointed out. The “soft path” is the smart path for the new century.
The folks at the Pacific Research Institute summarize the “soft path” as the approach that matches water services to the needs of the user. In addition it considers the ecological and social needs in order to maintain balance between the needs of man and nature in a sustainable way.
One of the strategies in this approach is that different qualities of water are used for different uses. For example, recycled waster water is used in irrigating lawns and golf courses, parks, school grounds and to meet certain industrial needs. It makes no sense to flush our wastewater into rivers, bays and the ocean.
Read more from this editorial from Inside the Bay Area (Contra Costa County Times) by clicking here.
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