Sewage To Drinking Water

Drink Up!

Okay -- so it sounds pretty disgusting when you first hear about it. But, well, here it goes. We may be able to get drinking water from treated sewage -- and water shortages could eventually force us to rely on this option.

In fact, the world's ecosystems have always recycled water -- and we've been relying on the same water sources that people used 5,000 years ago!

One example is California. Its population is exploding, while water supplies are declining And one source of surplus water -- the Colorado River -- won't be available after 2016. If there's a drought, the state could face water shortages even sooner.

Here's a partial solution. A $450 million plant in California's Orange County will use microfiltration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet radiation and other technology to make water available from sewage -- technologies that are used to purify bottled water, fruit juices, medicines, and even baby food. Studies show that the treated water exceeds current standards for drinking water.

Similar plants have been proposed all over the world, but public sentiment has blocked their completion. Okay, so the idea takes some getting used to. But it's an idea whose time has arrived. Drink up!

Script by Andrew Porterfield

Discovery Links

To learn more about today’s topic, please explore the links below:

• Orange County, CA Water District
• Ground water replenishment systemGround water replenishment system
• Water and Wastewater Industry Energy Efficiency: A Research Roadmap (PDF)