Good news! Water shortages are being solved by water recycling! Las Vegas, Orange Country and some Middle Eastern countries are on top of this. and David Byrne, the brilliant founder of the rock group Talking Heads, and the website, "Reasons to be Cheerful" wrote a great story about how water recycling is changing how we solve the water crisis.
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/water-recycling-interview/\
@jeanne-mayell My spouse worked on water recycling projects for over 30 years before retiring. Mostly the treated water in this area is used for irrigation, and customers are glad to have the option if they are in a place where it's available. The recycled water saves money on their utility bills .
The article speaks of the "ick factor" -- the perception people have that treated wastewater is sewage. The treated water here only needs a couple of extra steps to make it legal for tap water. But the "ick factor" has prevented that step from being taken.
I have suggested that people be reminded that any molecule of water they drink may once have been dinosaur pee. It's all recycled.
The article speaks of the "ick factor" -- the perception people have that treated wastewater is sewage...But the "ick factor" has prevented that step from being taken.
I have suggested that people be reminded that any molecule of water they drink may once have been dinosaur pee. It's all recycled.
Ha ha ha HA!
The “pee” to fresh water is an interesting concept that offers multiple climate benefits. There is a great small company in Vermont that collects urine from local “donors.” They processes it lightly (urine is usually sterile). I think it only has to be heated to around 170 degrees which is basically pasteurization, then they distribute it to local farmers who fertilize their fields with it. It is a very good fertilizer because it contains phosphorus.
The primary reason the company got started was to save electricity and water. If 1.3 gallons of water are not used to flush only urine, a lot of water is conserved. Also, those avoided flushes reduce the amount of water that has to be processed by water treatment plants thus reducing electricity use and greenhouse gases emissions. Also, the processing of commercial fertilizer requires lots of energy so this local urine usage would avoid those emissions.
The founders were pleased to learn that the farmers love the fertilizer. When I visited the company a few years ago, they were trying to find an adapted, workable toilet to facilitate collection, I hope they found one.
It occurred to me that given that a lot of commercial fertilizer is a by product of oil production. If ongoing constraints on the Strait of Hormuz reduce availability of fertilizer, this urine-to-field method could provide small farmers with cheaper, local fertilizer (fuel saved). In addition, it would provide local jobs that AI would have a hard time displacing.
The Rich Earth Institute https://richearthinstitute.org/