water purification technology
In the US, more than 2.1 trillion gallons of water are flushed down toilets each year. What most people think of as wastewater is a freshwater reservoir that, with some methods or water purification, could provide millions of people with drinking water.
Recognizing this, the Orange County Water and Sanitation District has begun to recycle wastewater into drinking water. Treated water that exceeds state and federal health standards is being used to recharge the underground aquifer that feeds the taps of more than 2.3 million people in the region.
According to officials, Orange County is facing a serious challenge after an eight-year drought on the Colorado River and imports are down by about 1/3. (If this continues, we may not need shower filters). The treatment center purifies water that would otherwise be discharged into the Pacific Ocean, creating about 70 million gallons of pure water per day.
Water purification methods
Water purification technology begins with wastewater treatment that removes solid waste and uses microorganisms to break down organic materials.
The water is then directed to recycling facilities for purification. It passes under low pressure through an ultra-fine filter that removes particulates, bacteria, and single-celled organisms known as protozoa (amoeba and their relatives).
Then comes reverse osmosis, in which water is forced through a plastic membrane at high pressure to remove even smaller contaminants like viruses, salts, and pesticides.
Treatment with hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet light completes the process.
Are you over the yuck factor yet? I am not, and am debating how I would handle the knowledge that my drinking water had once inhabited the toilet bowl. I think I’d like to make sure there were more filters in place, definitely a shower filter, and on my sink as well.
As I picture myself camping, I’d feel safe if I could distill the local water or use one of those readily available sanitizer tablets for drinking water. So maybe it’s possible for this me to overcome the yuck factor.
In San Diego, a proposal to recycle wastewater was rejected in 1999 because 69% of voters said they did not trust water purification technology or the recycling process. I can certainly understand that mistrust, which is why you would want the shower water filters in place.
However, I am reading that the astronauts aboard the space shuttle will soon have a recycling plant that recycles drinking water and tooth brushing, sweat and even urine. If they can do it, I guess I can too. But maybe only after a lot of disassociation.