Controversy may arise if wastewater is used for drinking water. However, according to a National Research Council report released on Tuesday, treated wastewater has the potential to make up a significant portion of the country's future water supply. Anti-recycling advocates use terms like “toilet to tap,” “water reuse,” and “reclaimed water” to refer to repurposed water.
The Dilemma
Only a small percentage of the water used in the United States is recycled, and it is estimated to be less than 1% of the total. However, there is still a lot of debate about it. Southern California is particularly relevant to this study because of the long-running debate over water consumption sparked by the state's recent water crisis. A proposal to use recycled water to top off the San Fernando Valley's groundwater a decade ago was halted in Los Angeles after widespread opposition. It is still a pioneer in using treated wastewater for its aquifers, and the vast majority of its treated water is discharged into the Pacific Ocean in the region of Southern California.
As a result of What?
More than 12 billion gallons of municipal wastewater are discharged into the ocean or estuary every day, according to the study. When the population grows and the water supply decreases, reusing these discharges will help alleviate future water shortages by increasing available water resources to 27% of public supplies.
Rules/Laws
According to the findings of the study, water recycling regulations vary by state, but changes to federal regulations could increase public trust and safeguard public health. Research into improving
Recycled water management coordination and updating the National Pretreatment Program to improve water reuse is recommended by the study.
Potential dangers to one's health
According to the findings, technological advances have rendered the treated wastewater safe for human consumption. According to the chair of the committee that wrote the report, "Wastewater reuse is poised to become a legitimate part of the nation's water supply portfolio due to recent improvements in treatment processes. "Even though reuse is not a panacea, the amount of wastewater discharged to the environment is so large that it could be used to supplement water from other sources and management strategies," There may be health benefits to reusing wastewater, according to a new study.
Costs
The study found that the costs of water reuse range widely, with conventional water conservation options costing more than water reuse, but seawater desalination costing less than water reuse. There are also other costs and benefits to consider, according to the report. If water recycling is used in conjunction with another water conservation program during times of high demand, the carbon footprint of the recycled water may be lower than with current systems.
