<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/california-purified-wastewater-recycling-drink-of-the-future/>
"The merganser ducks and egrets at the Whalen Lake bird sanctuary near
Oceanside, California, don’t know it, but they’re trendsetters, swimming in
water that has been purified by state-of-the-art technology.
Pure Water Oceanside, the sprawling water reclamation facility next to the
lake, still looks brand new with its Santorini-white buildings and indigo-blue
arches under cloudless skies. Up to five million gallons of the city’s
wastewater are pumped every day through thick pipes, filters and chlorine tanks
in the warehouse-size buildings flanked by blooming purple jacaranda trees.
There is no detectable smell in the ultra-clean facility; mechanical engineer
Lindsay Leahy, the energetic young water utilities director, calls it “the
best-smelling wastewater plant I’ve ever been to.”
It’s also the most modern. Palm-dotted Oceanside invested $70 million in the
drink of the future: purified wastewater. It is turning water from the
residents’ dishwashers, showers and toilets into potable water — or, to call a
spade a spade, toilet to tap.
The pivot to reusing wastewater is badly needed: Potable water is an
increasingly precious resource. Worldwide, already 26 percent of the global
population or two billion people live in water-stressed areas, according to UN
Water, which projects this figure could double by 2050."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
