Reclaimed wastewater for drinking: Safe but still a tough sell
Posted by: Maven on February 1, 2012 at 7:56 amFrom National Geographic:
“Water filtration technology has advanced to the point where wastewater can be rendered safe for drinking, according to a new report, but legislative and psychological hurdles will need to be overcome before widespread adoption can happen.
“Expanding water reuse could significantly increase the nation’s water resource, particularly in coastal communities,” said Rhodes Trussell, president of Trussell Technologies in Pasadena, California, and chair of the committee that wrote the report.
Treated wastewater, also known as reclaimed water, is commonly used for irrigation and industry. And many towns already rely on reused water simply because they draw water downstream from other municipalities’ wastewater release pipes.
“De facto reuse takes place throughout the country,” Trussell said. … “
Continue reading from National Geographic by clicking here.
Water conservation, recycling and California’s future
Posted by: Maven on January 26, 2012 at 11:31 pmFrom Bilingual News:
“Conservation is the largest, least expensive and most environmentally sound source of new water, and water is being wasted in every sector of California’s economy, according to the Pacific Institute of Oakland. “We’ve found that California can cut its urban water use by a third through efficient technology, simple changes in policy and improved public education,” said Dr. Peter H. Gleick, President of the Pacific Institute. “What this means is that we can avoid new, expensive and environmentally destructive water projects and still meet California’s future needs—even if California’s population and economy grow as expected.”
There appears to be much room for improvement.
Outdoor water use accounts for 42 percent of urban use in California; this includes lawns, large landscapes, parks, golf courses and cemeteries, and a portion of commercial and industrial water use. But regional use varies significantly. … “
Continue reading from Bilingual News by clicking here.
Column: Where toilet-to-tap fears circle the drain
Posted by: Maven on January 22, 2012 at 6:57 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune, this column by Karla Peterson:
“Test subject: The “toilet-to-tap” tour of the Advanced Water Purification Facility.
The big picture: The AWP Facility is the latest step in the city’s Water Purification Demonstration Project, which is designed to test the feasibility of turning recycled wastewater (Ewww!) into water that is clean enough to drink (Yum!).
As part of the campaign to convince leery consumers that the maligned and misnamed “toilet to tap” concept is neither as simple nor as gross as it sounds, the city is offering free public tours of the facility off Miramar Road. (You can register online at purewatersd.org.) I joined one last week to see if a little bit of knowledge makes extreme water recycling easier to swallow. … “
Continue reading this column from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
The Economist on recycling water: Waste not, want not
Posted by: Maven on January 20, 2012 at 7:39 amFrom the Economist:
“Decades ago, your correspondent visited one of the larger sewage works in the Thames Valley to learn how the new biodegradable detergents, with their long hydrocarbon chains, were affecting the plant’s filtration processes. The plant was coping just fine, he was informed. And the output was so good, it was piped straight back to local reservoirs for redistribution.
Each drop of water used by Londoners subsequently passed through the plant for reprocessing at least six times before eventually escaping to the sea. The engineer in charge was convinced that, with further refinement, the sewage works would be capable of recycling the same water indefinitely—with the quality improving with each treatment cycle. Offered a glass of the finished product, your correspondent thought it tasted a good deal better than the chalky liquid that spluttered from London taps (see “From toilet to tap”, September 26th 2008).
In America, the assumption is that, if recycled at all, reprocessed effluent is used strictly for irrigating golf courses, parks and highway embankments, or for providing feedwater for industrial boilers and cooling at power stations. The one thing water authorities are loathe to discuss is how much treated sewage (politely known as “reclaimed water”) is actually incorporated in the drinking supply.
The very idea of consuming reprocessed human, animal and industrial waste can turn people’s stomachs. But it happens more than most realise. … “
Continue reading from The Economist by clicking here.
Inkstain blog: The Jevons Paradox and greywater reuse
Posted by: Maven on January 17, 2012 at 7:24 amFrom the Inkstain blog:
“Hey lazyweb – anybody know if someone’s looked rigorously at the question of greywater use in the context of a Jevons-like paradox?
Putting together some notes for a talk this weekend to the Xeriscape Garden Club of Albuquerque (Sat. 10 a.m. at the Garden Center if you’re in town), I’ve been thinking anew about the question of greywater use – running a second plumbing system from the sinks and other non-poopy waste producers in your house out to the garden.
It seems obvious that this is a winner, because you’re making use of the wastewater rather than just throwing it away. Except that in many settings, it’s not thrown away, but rather returned via the sewage treatment plant for use by others. … “
Continue reading from the Inkstain blog by clicking here.
Study: Don’t waste wastewater: Recycled water is key to meeting future water needs
Posted by: Maven on January 11, 2012 at 8:39 amFrom the Los Angeles Daily News:
“Reusing treated wastewater – a process rejected a decade ago as “toilet to tap” in Los Angeles – could help meet future water needs across the country, and in some cases may be safer than existing drinking supplies, according to a study released Tuesday.
The National Research Council examined challenges and benefits of reusing wastewater as water supplies dwindle and population increases.
Some 12 billion gallons of wastewater are discharged into oceans and estuaries each day, the report calculated. If that water was purified and reused, it could make up 6 percent of the nation’s water supply.
“That’s significant,” said R. Rhodes Trussell, chairman of the committee that wrote the report, which was sponsored in part by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Daily News by clicking here.
SEE ALSO:
- Study: Water recycling key to U.S. future, from the San Diego Union-Tribune
- Reuse of Municipal Wastewater Has Potential to Augment Future Drinking Water Supplies, from Science News
YouTube: Tour San Diego’s Advanced Water Purification Facility
Posted by: Maven on December 31, 2011 at 1:24 pmFrom the San Diego County Water Authority, posted on YouTube:
“The Advanced Water Purification Facility is the centerpiece of the City of San Diego’s Water Purification Demonstration Project. The facility is demonstrating the purification of 1 million gallons of water per day using membrane filtration, reverse osmosis and UV light/advanced oxidation. Tours of the facility are available to the public by registering at purewatersd.org/tours.shtml. Come see the latest in water purification technology up close!”
SEE ALSO: The Advanced Water Purification Process, also from the SDCWA, posted on YouTube
Another run for flush-to-faucet water recycling
Posted by: Maven on October 31, 2011 at 6:22 amFrom KQED’s Climate Watch:
“For the record: the route isn’t nearly as direct as the popular canine version. I tasted this water in Orange County and it’s fine — actually, a little “tasteless” since all the minerals had been removed from it as well. The engineering folks in both Orange County and LA’s Department of Water and Power will tell you that this recycled water has a “distilled” quality to it.
With the future of Southern California’s water supply in some doubt, municipal water managers are moving again toward the ultimate recycling strategy, which lingers in the public’s mind with such appetizing monikers as “toilet to tap.” … “
Continue reading from KQED’s Climate Watch by clicking here.
Water recycling: A primer on gray water systems
Posted by: Maven on September 6, 2011 at 7:57 amFrom the Sacramento Bee:
“Residential gray water is all the wastewater from showers, bathtubs, bathroom sinks and clothes washers. It adds up to nearly 50 percent of the average household’s water use. And while black water – wastewater from toilets and the kitchen sink – is complicated to process for reuse, gray water is commonly recycled for landscape irrigation and even for filling toilets in the home. Products for processing and delivering gray water vary from simple watering systems to multistage treatment and storage appliances. … “
Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.
California says yes to recycled water
Posted by: Maven on September 2, 2011 at 6:26 amThat headline should read “gray water”, not “recycled water” as the two are somewhat different things. From the Greenspace blog:
“The state Senate today passed a bill allowing so-called graywater systems in homes and commercial buildings.
The bill, AB 849, is aimed at clarifying a patchwork of local regulation that has at times prohibited these “non-potable water reuse systems,” which divert drain water for irrigation and other purposes. … “
Continue reading from Greenspace by clicking here.
Grant will help MMWD send recycled water to Peacock Gap Golf Course in San Rafael
Posted by: Maven on August 29, 2011 at 7:46 amFrom the Marin Independent Journal:
“The Marin Municipal Water District’s recycling water expansion plans have gotten a boost via $1.4 million in state funding.
The dollars come from Proposition 84, which was passed in 2006 by 53 percent of state voters. In Marin the proposition received 63 percent support. It is providing $5.4 billion from the sale of bonds for habitat restoration, water resources improvements and water quality benefits.
As part of the funding announced last week, $500,000 in Proposition 84 funds will go to the Marin Municipal Water District to help it finance an expansion of the district’s recycled water system, work that could start in 2013. … “
Continue reading from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.
Report: Wastewater recycling can multiply greenhouse gas emissions
Posted by: Maven on August 29, 2011 at 7:10 amFrom PhysOrg:
“New research shows that wastewater recycling processes may generate more greenhouse gases than traditional water-treatment processes. Despite this finding, there are good reasons to continue keep wastewater recycling among the water-resource tools for urban areas.
That’s the summary of a new paper by Amy Townsend-Small, assistant professor of geology and geography in the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Cincinnati, and a team of researchers from the University of California, Irvine. A report of their research appears in the September-October issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality. … “
Continue reading from PhysOrg by clicking here.
More Western towns adopt ‘toilet to tap’ strategy to water conservation
Posted by: Maven on August 23, 2011 at 8:12 amFrom the Christian Science Monitor:
“This summer, Texas’ drought of the century is an uncomfortable reminder that often there just isn’t enough water to go around. But the 40 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and minuscule rainfall may also be boosting the case for a new freshwater source being developed in Big Spring, Texas, and surrounding cities.
With a waste-water-to-drinking-water treatment plant now under construction, Big Spring will soon join the growing list of cities that use recycled sewage water for drinking water – a practice that the squeamish call “toilet to tap.” … “
Continue reading from the Christian Science Monitor by clicking here.
Bay Area water recycling gets federal funding boost
Posted by: Maven on August 17, 2011 at 8:11 amFrom the website of Congressman George Miller:
“Bay Area water recycling efforts that will create jobs and expand water supplies got a boost this week after the federal Bureau of Reclamation announced more than $2 million in grants for these innovative projects. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), a leading champion in Congress for water recycling praised the decision, saying the grants will help local economies.
“Water recycling is no longer a pipe dream, it is the way of the future in drought plagued states like California,” said Miller. “Water recycling projects create jobs, stretch water supplies, and drive the development of innovative technologies. These federal grants are critical to keeping this important part of our economy moving forward. There are already projects up and running in the Bay Area, that got off the ground through a partnership with the federal government,” Miller added. “Now, providing start-up funding for these new water recycling projects will help provide certainty for water managers and Bay Area communities. These local projects can have a significant impact on our regional water supplies, protecting our Bay-Delta and creating a sustainable water supply. Investing in innovative water recycling projects and clean water infrastructure is one of the smartest investments the federal government can make.” … “
Continue reading by clicking here.
Water Wired blog answers the question: Are we drinking dinosaur pee or not?
Posted by: Maven on August 16, 2011 at 7:40 amFrom the Water Wired blog:
“Much has has been made of several recent statements that we are indeed drinking ‘dinosaur pee’ because the same water that is around today was around then as well.
So are we drinking dinosaur pee? If you want to cut to the chase, scroll down to the bottom. Otherwise, brace yourself.
On page 16 of The Big Thirst (read my review), Charles Fishman starts discussing the ‘resiliency’ of water and then on page 17 suggests we are drinking dinosaur pee because the water molecules that are around today have been around for at least for the past few hundred million yearsDino1 – ‘No water is being created or destroyed on Earth’ (page 17). … “
Continue reading from the Water Wired blog by clicking here.
Commentary: Water is a fuel with no alternatives
Posted by: Maven on August 16, 2011 at 7:17 amFrom Fast Company, this blog commentary by
“All water is reused water. Cities and towns that draw their fresh water supplies from local rivers are reusing water that has been used, cleaned and discharged from factories, households, and other sources upriver. Yet, when discussing water reuse as part of an overall water portfolio, many are turned off by the prospect. The terms “used water” or “water reuse” conjure up negative connotations and public perceptions.
At the heart of the issue is the need to educate the public on both the value of water and water reuse as a sustainable and safe water resource. For example, if consumers could reuse gasoline over and over again, the infrastructure and technology would be built to achieve this, because gasoline is a valued fuel. Like oil and its refined products, water is a fuel. It fuels our bodies, our businesses, our food sources and industries. But unlike oil and gas, there are no alternative fuels to water; therefore we must make the most of every drop. … “
Continue reading this blog commentary by clicking here.
Why cleaned wastewater stays dirty in our minds
Posted by: Maven on August 16, 2011 at 7:09 amFrom NPR’s Morning Edition:
“Brent Haddad studies water in a place where water is often in short supply: California.
Haddad is a professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. About 14 years ago, he became very interested in the issue of water reuse.
At the time, a number of California’s local water agencies were proposing a different approach to the state’s perennial water problems. They wanted to build plants that would clean local waste water — a.k.a. sewage water — and after that cleaning, make it available as drinking water. But, says Haddad, these proposals were consistently shot down by an unwilling public. … “
Continue reading from NPR by clicking here.
Bay Area Water Recycling Gets Federal Funding Boost
Posted by: Susan Lauer on August 5, 2011 at 8:08 amFrom Waste Management World
Bay Area water recycling efforts that will create jobs and expand water supplies got a boost this week after the federal Bureau of Reclamation announced more than $2 million in grants for these innovative projects. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), a leading champion in Congress for water recycling praised the decision, saying the grants will help local economies.
Continue reading from Waste Management World by clicking here.
Reclamation awards more than $2 million for studies in the SF Bay Area
Posted by: Susan Lauer on August 2, 2011 at 8:12 amFrom the State News Service
The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that the sponsors of 13 projects have been awarded $2.12 million to fund feasibility studies that assess the opportunity for reclamation and reuse of wastewater and naturally impaired ground and surface water.
The feasibility studies are authorized under Title XVI of Public Law 102-575, as amended.
Continue reading from the State News Service by clicking here.
Future of water on public display at San Diego’s Water Purification Demonstration Project
Posted by: Susan Lauer on July 29, 2011 at 7:30 amFrom the City of San Diego, Public Utilities Department
The City of San Diego has launched a year-long test of a new local source of water for the semi-arid city. The Advanced Water Purification Facility is a small-scale, state-of-the-art water purification facility that purifies 1 million gallons a day of recycled water to distilled water quality.
Free public tours of the Advanced Water Purification Facility are available.
Continue reading on the City of San Diego website by clicking here.
Column: ‘There It Is. Take It.’
Posted by: Maven on July 23, 2011 at 7:00 amFrom KCET’s SoCal Focus:
“Mayor Villaraigosa and the Department of Water and Power are (metaphorically) on opposite sides of a sea of troubled water. In 2008, the mayor announced conservation policies that included tentative steps to expand the use of reclaimed waste water. Recently, the DWP announced plans for a 16 percent rate increase, mostly because of higher Metropolitan Water District costs (which are expected to nearly double by 2020). But the DWP stepped back from funding new conservation strategies in the mayor’s 2008 proposal and deferred the issue of reclaimed water to the city council.
Instead of paying a lot more for MWD’s water and flushing all of it away, Los Angeles could do more with the water it already has, argues Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay. … “
Continue reading from KCET’s SoCal Focus by clicking here.
New paper evaluates the future of water recycling
Posted by: Maven on July 15, 2011 at 7:30 amFrom Environmental Protection:
“Factors such as population growth and climate change mean that existing water supplies must go further in the future. One way to achieve this is to implement direct potable reuse (DPR) of purified water within current water distribution systems. University of California researchers have published an article in the recently launched Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination describing DPR and its future expectations.
This water “recycling” introduces purified water, derived from municipal wastewater after extensive treatment and monitoring, directly into a municipal water supply system. The obvious advantage of DPR is the opportunity to reduce the distance that purified water would need to be pumped, significantly reducing costs. DPR has the potential to allow for full reuse of available purified water in metropolitan areas, using the existing water distribution infrastructure. … “
Continue reading from Environmental Protection by clicking here.
LA Weekly blog: The L.A. DWP wants you to drink recycled sewage — and pay $20 a year for it
Posted by: Maven on June 16, 2011 at 6:56 amFrom the LA Weekly blog:
“The California drought may be temporarily on hold, but that doesn’t mean Department of Water and Power problem-solvers have stopped scheming up new ways to keep your taps gushing and Bel Air fountain sculptures gurgling. But be warned: It’ll cost you.
The LA Daily News runs a deja-vous piece this morning on a plan to turn almost 10 billion gallons of yearly sewage to crisp, clear drinking water. But this isn’t the ‘”toilet-to-tap” plan of a decade ago,” writes the Daily News. It would instead be modeled after the recycled sewage plan Orange County has been vetting since 2007 … “
Continue reading from the LA Weekly by clicking here.
DWP testing a way to recycle city’s wastewater into drinking water
Posted by: Maven on June 15, 2011 at 7:24 amFrom the Los Angeles Daily News:
“Los Angeles wastewater may soon become cleaner than a mountain spring.
But officials say a plan to spend $700 million to recycle sewage into drinking water rests on the future of rates being proposed today.
“One of our key strategies to becoming less reliant on imported water is to recycle water,” said James Yannotta, assistant director of water resources for the Department of Water and Power. “Through `purple pipe’ for industrial or commercial purposes, or groundwater replenishment to the point where it is essentially distilled. It is cleaner than any other water.” … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Daily News by clicking here.
Wastewater getting new life across county
Posted by: Maven on May 16, 2011 at 7:32 amFrom the San Diego Union-Tribune:
“Drought fears are fading for San Diego County residents, but lessons of the past three dry years have pushed utility leaders across region toward an unprecedented array of projects for turning sewage into usable supplies for irrigation, industry and even drinking water.
The concept goes back decades and it’s been embraced in places without coming close to reaching its potential. The untapped possibilities are prompting campaigns to treat wastewater as a resource rather than a liability and likely will mean expansive — and expensive — forays into water recycling. … “
Continue reading from the San Diego Union-Tribune by clicking here.
Reclamation provides funding for water recycling and reuse studies in three Western states
Posted by: Maven on May 10, 2011 at 8:29 amFrom the Bureau of Reclamation, this press release:
“Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor announced today the selection of nine Feasibility Studies for funding under WaterSMART’s Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program in California, Oklahoma, and Texas. These feasibility studies will receive $1,176,760 from WaterSMART, which will result in a total of $4.9 million in total dollars available to help fund the studies.
“The western United States faces great challenges in providing potable water while maintaining healthy aquifers and reliable regional water supplies,” said Commissioner Connor. “These Reclamation-sponsored feasibility studies will examine where project sponsors can stretch available water supplies and protect against drought by using recycled water and advanced water treatment technologies.” … “
Most of the money was awarded here in California. Find out to whom by clicking here.
Challenges to water reuse: Projects to recycle wastewater face not only scientific but also economic and social hurdles
Posted by: Maven on May 1, 2011 at 7:54 amFrom Chemical & Engineering News:
” … Currently, California recycles about 200 billion gal of water per year, according to the State Water Resources Control Board, and the state plans to reach 325 billion gal by 2020. At last month’s American Chemical Society meeting, in sessions within the Division of Environmental Chemistry, Luthy and other environmental engineers discussed the economic and social barriers that stand in the way of local water reuse projects, as well as some possible solutions.
Although Luthy acknowledges the need for more scientific research on water reuse, such as developing methods to detect and remove new classes of contaminants from wastewater, he thinks that large engineering projects also face economic and social policy issues that need to be studied. So he stepped outside his lab and decided to look into the successes and failures of local water agencies to understand what drives or stalls water reuse projects. … “
Continue reading from Chemical & Engineering News by clicking here.
RELATED: GrokSurf’s San Diego blog has a video produced by the American Chemical Society on recycled water by clicking here.
LADWP breaks ground on the largest ultraviolet water treatment facility in the West; Facility to provide state-of-the-art treatment technology to comply with new EPA regulations
Posted by: Maven on April 22, 2011 at 7:31 amFrom the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, this press release:
” Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) officials, joined by Councilmember Greig Smith, broke ground today on the construction of a new ultraviolet (UV) water treatment facility at the Los Angeles Aqueduct Filtration Plant (LAAFP) in Sylmar. The UV facility will add an advanced level of protection to the LADWP’s treatment process to comply with new water quality regulations established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
“This new ultraviolet water treatment plant will ensure that the citizens of Los Angeles have the cleanest, safest water available and that we continue to meet – or beat – EPA standards,” said Councilman Greig Smith, who represents the 12th District.
“With the construction of this treatment facility, we’re investing $60 million dollars of our customers’ money in ultraviolet purification to help us comply with new and more stringent water quality regulations,” said LADWP General Manager Ronald O. Nichols. “It is only by continually meeting and exceeding these regulations that we can continue to provide the highest level of water service to our customers.”
The delicate art of promoting recycled water
Posted by: Maven on April 18, 2011 at 7:10 amFrom Environmental Leader:
“Although Americans are used to conserving water during droughts, many still believe that water will always be abundant. In reality, increased population, greater demand, and a stronger emphasis on environmental protection mean that existing water supplies may soon be insufficient (if they are not already). In light of growing concerns regarding water scarcity and drought, water quality issues and global climate change, recycled water is increasingly viewed as a key component in augmenting existing water supplies. Recycled (or reclaimed) water is former wastewater that has been treated to remove solids and impurities. In the United States, it is distributed in light purple pipes to distinguish it from potable water, earning it the moniker “purple water.”
Recycled water is most often used for landscape irrigation. Nationwide, landscape irrigation accounts for almost one-third of all residential water use – more than seven billion gallons per day. Using recycled water for non-potable uses such as landscaping saves potable water for drinking. … “
Continue reading from the Environmental Leader by clicking here.
State of the Planet blog: From wastewater to drinking water
Posted by: Maven on April 5, 2011 at 7:01 amFrom the Earth Institute’s State of the Planet blog:
“Across the globe, 2 out of 10 people do not have access to safe drinking water, and in the U.S., many states face water shortages and droughts. Meanwhile, reports Robert Glennon in Unquenchable: America’s Water Crisis and What to Do About It, Americans use 24 gallons of water each day to flush their toilets—approximately 5.8 billion gallons. What a waste! As the global population continues to grow and climate change results in more water crises, where will we find enough water to meet our needs?
In the U.S., we spend billions of dollars treating water to drinking water quality when we use only 10% of it for drinking and cooking, then flush most of the rest down the toilet or drain. So the growing use of recycled wastewater for irrigation, landscaping, industry and toilet flushing, is a good way to conserve our fresh water resources. Recycled water is also used to replenish sensitive ecosystems where wildlife, fish and plants are left vulnerable when water is diverted for urban or rural needs. In coastal areas, recycled water helps recharge groundwater aquifers to prevent the intrusion of saltwater, which occurs when groundwater has been over pumped. … “
Continue reading from the State of the Planet blog by clicking here.
Orange County’s Ground Water Replinishment System to get upgrade
Posted by: Maven on April 1, 2011 at 7:08 amFrom the O.C. Register:
“Orange County’s world-famous system for turning sewer water into highly purified drinking-water will receive a $156 million upgrade — boosting its capacity to 100 million gallons per day.
The Orange County Water District board approved the project Wednesday and expects it to be completed by 2014.
The system, which squeezes treated wastewater through high-powered filters as part of a three-step process, went online in 2008 at a cost of $480 million. It has been part of Orange County’s water supply since 2009. … “
Continue reading from the O.C. Register by clicking here.
MORE: Click here for the press release from OCWD.
California’s Water is delicate, precious and overlooked
Posted by: Maven on March 28, 2011 at 8:32 amFrom the Digital Journal:
“As the California landscape receives a healthy downpour of rainfall for this time of year, water management-system experts want to remind the public that water is a very precious necessity.
The Groundwater Replenishment System (or GWRS) of Orange County among other such facilities is an example of current on-going plans to address California’s future water needs.
Annual rainfall varies from year to year and in places like Southern California rainfall can be considerably less than Northern California. Coastal fog and microclimates can keep temperatures cooler for spots within the San Francisco Bay Area. … “
Continue reading from the Digital Journal by clicking here.
From toilets to tap: How we get tap water from sewage
Posted by: Maven on March 3, 2011 at 8:28 amFrom the USA Today:
“SINGAPORE — This island nation is aggressively promoting a solution to the water scarcity that vexes countries worldwide: recycling toilet water to drink.
It’s an idea that many people find revolting. But, in Singapore at least, the nearly 5 million residents largely seem to have accepted it as necessary.
“In the past, we had to get water from another country, but what happens if the ties between the two countries are jeopardized?” asks Khaiting Tan, 20, a student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. “It’s better to be self-reliant.” … “
Continue reading from the USA Today by clicking here.
Inland Empire: Recycled water plan on tap for the region
Posted by: Maven on January 24, 2011 at 7:07 amFrom the Contra Costa Times:
“The Inland Valley will soon see a lot of purple.
A $27 million recycled water project affecting Upland, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga is under way.
When the Inland Empire Utilities Agency finishes construction later this fall, facilities such as the San Antonio Community Hospital in Upland and Red Hill Park in Rancho Cucamonga will use recycled water for its outdoor irrigation.
Marked by purple pipes, recycled water is waste water that has been treated and purified for irrigation or industrial use. … “
Continue reading from the Contra Costa Times by clicking here.
Manteca residents could save a lot of green by using purple pipe water, says the Manteca Bulletin
Posted by: Maven on January 23, 2011 at 8:54 amFrom the Manteca Bulletin, this editorial:
“Requiring the developers of the proposed 1,650-home Trails of Manteca project to use recycled wastewater to irrigate 75 acres of parkland is a good start but it doesn’t go far enough.
What is needed are purple pipe stubs for all front yards of every single family home in the neighborhood as well. It is one of the things the city can do to make owning a home more affordable.
There is a misconception that affordable housing simply involves the monthly mortgage payment. That is simply not true. There are issues such as taxes, energy costs, upkeep, and water use that go in to determining housing affordability. … “
Continue reading from the Manteca Bulletin by clicking here.
Greywater systems give tap water a second life
Posted by: Maven on December 16, 2010 at 7:47 am
From Oakland North:
“A piece of paper is tacked on the back wall of Javier Amaro’s house: “greywater” is written on one side and “sewer” on the other. Below, a pipe coming out of his washing machine runs along the wall. “Normally this washer pipe goes straight to the sewer,” says Amaro, pointing to the tubing. “They put in this other pipe and the shut-off valve.” Amaro is one of hundreds of people in Oakland who have started reusing “greywater”—or run-off water—in their homes. So now when the shut-off valve is open, all the water from his washing machine flows through the new pipe, outside and directly to his garden where he uses it to water his plants.
California’s laws recently changed to allow certain kinds of greywater reuse systems to be installed in homes without requiring permits, so residents are increasingly conserving water from their showers, bathroom sinks, washing machines and more. The collected run-off is usually the kind that stays fairly clean after one use, like bath water—but still, this water isn’t used for drinking or bathing, but rather for watering plants and occasionally for flushing toilets. “Fifty percent of water we use in our homes is greywater and can be reused,” says Juliet Christian-Smith, a senior research associate for the Pacific Institute, an Oakland-based non-profit that works on environmental, economic and social issues. … “
Continue reading from Oakland North by clicking here.
Legal alert: State Water Board contemplating approach to monitoring constituents of emerging concern in recycled water
Posted by: Maven on December 8, 2010 at 8:26 amFrom Cassie Aw-Yang at Somach Simmons & Dunn:
“The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) released its Staff Report providing recommendations for monitoring of constituents of emerging concern (CECs) in certain recycled water projects and additional related research. The projects at issue involve the use of municipal recycled water to recharge groundwater (via surface spreading or direct injection) and irrigate landscape. The Staff Report is based on recommendations by a blue-ribbon CEC advisory panel and input from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
On December 15, 2010, the State Water Board will hold a public hearing in Sacramento to receive comments on the Staff Report. The State Water Board encourages participants to submit written comments prior to the hearing and will accept written comments until December 27, 2010, at noon. … “
Continue reading from Somach Simmons & Dunn by clicking here.
Greywater Report looks at wastewater’s potential
Posted by: Maven on November 24, 2010 at 8:27 amFrom the Los Angeles Times Greenspace blog:
“About 50% of the water used inside U.S. homes can be reused to irrigate landscapes and flush toilets, according to a gray water report released by the Pacific Institute last week. The Overview of Greywater Reuse examined the application of gray water systems worldwide to determine how the wastewater generated from sinks, baths, showers and clothes washers could be reused to reduce demand for more costly, high-quality drinking water.
“In California, there are a lot of reasons why we’re looking for new and innovative water sources, including the legal restrictions that are coming to bear on our ability to move water around the state,” said Juliet Christian-Smith, senior research associate at the Oakland-based research institute. “Climactic changes are occurring…. We are looking at a future with less of a natural reservoir in our snow in the Sierras and less water available from the Colorado River system.” … “
Continue reading from the Los Angeles Times Greenspace blog by clicking here.
New report from the Pacific Institute explores potential of greywater reuse to aid sustainable water use
Posted by: Maven on November 21, 2010 at 7:52 am
From the Pacific Institute:
“In an increasingly water-stressed world, greywater systems, which reuse high quality water normally disposed of after a single use, can help to reduce the demand for new water supply and reduce the energy and carbon footprint of water services according to a new report from the Pacific Institute. Overview of Greywater Reuse: the Potential of Greywater Systems to Aid Sustainable Water Management details the opportunities and challenges of reusing greywater and discusses what is needed to scale up emerging international efforts to reuse greywater.
Greywater is the relatively high-quality wastewater generated from household uses like bathing and washing clothes. As pressures on freshwater resources grow and new supply sources are increasingly scarce, expensive, or controversial, reducing demand by increasing water-use efficiency is key. Greywater reuse is one such strategy.
“Greywater reuse is part of an important paradigm shift in how we manage water, toward a more rational approach where we match the quality of water to the need” said Meena Palaniappan, director of the Pacific Institute International Water and Communities Initiative and coauthor of the report. “By reusing greywater in the home for watering landscapes or flushing toilets, we can reduce the use of high quality, expensive, and energy-intensive drinking water for those purposes.”
YouTube: Tour Orange County’s (CA) Groundwater Replenishment System
Posted by: Maven on November 11, 2010 at 7:35 amFrom OCWDwaternews, posted at YouTube:
Video follows a quick slideshow: Follow a tour of business leaders, policy makers and residents as they taste the ultra-pure water produced by Orange County’s world renowned GWRS. For more information, go to www.gwrsystem.com and follow GWRSnews on Twitter and FaceBook.
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