{"id":1756,"date":"2011-04-23T23:42:42","date_gmt":"2011-04-24T03:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/?p=1756"},"modified":"2011-04-24T00:08:14","modified_gmt":"2011-04-24T04:08:14","slug":"1756","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/?p=1756","title":{"rendered":"Reclaimed Water: Possibilities and Some Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lori Anne Dolqueist, ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER, April 18, 2010<\/em><\/p>\n

\"dreamstime_12589721\"<\/a> Although Americans are used to conserving water during droughts, many still believe that water will always be abundant.\u00a0 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).\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Recycled (or reclaimed) water is former wastewater that has been treated to remove solids and impurities.\u00a0 In the United States, it is distributed in light purple pipes to distinguish it from potable water, earning it the moniker \u201cpurple water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recycled water is most often used for landscape irrigation.\u00a0 Nationwide, landscape irrigation accounts for almost one-third of all residential water use \u2013 more than seven billion gallons per day.\u00a0 Using recycled water for non-potable uses such as landscaping saves potable water for drinking.\u00a0 Other non-potable uses include cooling water for power plants and oil refineries, industrial processing water for facilities such as paper mills and carpet manufacturers, construction activities, toilet flushing, and dust control.\u00a0 Additionally, some recycled water providers are exploring indirect potable uses of recycled water, such as groundwater recharging.\u00a0 For this use, recycled water is pumped into or percolated down to groundwater aquifers, pumped out, treated again, and finally used as drinking water.<\/p>\n

In addition to providing a dependable, drought-resistant water supply, recycled water also offers significant environmental benefits.\u00a0 Once wastewater has been treated to an acceptable level, it becomes an alternative to natural water supplies.\u00a0 By acting as an additional source of water, recycled water enhances water conservation and can decrease the diversion of water from sensitive ecosystems.\u00a0 Other benefits include decreasing wastewater discharges and reducing and preventing pollution.\u00a0 Recycled water can also be used to create or enhance wetlands and riparian habitats.<\/p>\n

Barriers to Recycled Water<\/strong><\/p>\n

In many parts of the United States, the uses of recycled water are increasing to accommodate the environmental situation and growing demands for water.\u00a0 However, although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulates potable (tap) water, no federal law governs recycled wastewater for drinking.\u00a0 Some states, such as California, require additional testing for contaminants, but regulation at the state level varies.\u00a0 Given the fractured nature of water regulation, local, state and federal entities are all grappling with the issue of how to regulate and encourage the use of recycled water.\u00a0 Involvement in the process of developing recycled water policies now can mean the difference between success and failure of recycled water projects in the future. Barriers to recycled water projects include:<\/p>\n

Public Perception<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite recycled water being used for decades across the country, there is still a lingering negative public perception.\u00a0 A significant obstacle to increasing the use of recycled water is overcoming the stigma of \u201ctoilet-to-tap\u201d water.\u00a0 The phrase \u201ctoilet-to-tap\u201d has connotations of uncleanliness, disease, and public health problems \u2013 the \u201cyuck factor.\u201d\u00a0 This adds to the lingering misconception that recycled water is a lower quality product.\u00a0 For these reasons, public reaction can be one of the most volatile aspects of promoting water recycling.\u00a0 The public may more readily accept traditional uses of recycled water than projects in which the eventual end use will be a source of drinking water.\u00a0 It is important to obtain public input in the development and implementation of recycled water policies, to both understand the opposition and gain support. [Read rest of article]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Landscape irrigation, which could be done by recycled water, comprises 1\/3 of the water we use. The problem is that recycled water is not regulated, and may contain chemicals that should not go into the ground and seep into aquifers. This article tells all on this important subject.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":""},"categories":[17,353],"tags":[1071,87,1074,1078,1077,1076,1075,1080,1079,1073,1072],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1756"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1756"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1758,"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1756\/revisions\/1758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itstheenvironmentstupid.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}