Petaluma, CA is in the process of building a new water treatment facility that will use a wetlands approach to recycle their water. The new facility will cost the county around $110 million dollars. One of the nice features of the wetlands model is the fact that it does not hinder nature, but enhances it by providing a habitat for animals. The city of Petaluma has been recycling their water since the early 1980's.
Macko, R. (2007) From Old to New. Pollution Engineering, 39(1), 28-31. Retrieved October 11, 2007 from Ebsco Host (23691671).
A wire manufacturing company in South Caroline is doing their part for the environment. They are recycling their waste water that comes from making the wire they produce. They hope that with this new system they are installing, that they will be able to recycle up to 80 percent of their waste water. their new system deals with chemical precipitation and membrane micro filtration.
Miserly water recycler installed in Melbourne. Ecos, 131, 7. Retrieved October 11, 2007 from Ebsco Host (21800592)
A laundry business in Melbourne, Austrailia has received money from the government to set up a water recycling system in their business. The goal is to recycle all the waste water from their laundry services and turn it back into usable water for their business. The amount of water they use for their laundry services should decrease by 50 million liters.
Traugott, A. (2007) Reclaimed Water and the Codes. Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 41(4), 53-54. Retrieved on October 11, 2007 from Ebsco Host (24893267)
This article talks about the different types of water recycling out there and the codes governing water recycling. It also talks about the chemistry of water and the different methods used to break down the chemistry of water to make it safe and usable again. There are many new methods available for water recycling and codes need to be up to date to meet the demands of the public.
Clayton, S. (2007). Desalination: OPTION OR DISTRACTION? Ecos. 138, 33. Retrieved on October 11, 2007 from Ebsco Host.
Australia is at the forefront of the news right now because of the worldwide drought that is going on. Australia is looking for ways to recycle their water. One suggestion has been to recycle ocean water, which would give Australia a substantial amount of water to work with and reduce the water limitations for Australians.
Grey Water Central (2007) Retrieved October 11, 2007 from http://www.oasisdesign.net
This website is dedicated to the recycling of grey water. Grey water is any water used in someone’s home except for the toilet water. Wastewater from showers, laundry, and doing the dished can make up to 80 percent. Grey water can reduce a person’s water bill immensely and it is also energy efficient.
Integrated Water Strategies (2007) Retrieved October 11, 2007 from http://waterrecycling.com
There are three main steps to water treatment. The first stage is called Primary Treatment. This first stage separates the waste water into solid and liquid matter. The liquid waste can be treated quicker than the solid. The second phase is called Secondary Treatment. This phase puts bacteria in the water that helps break down the matter. The third phase is the most expensive but very useful phase called Tertiary Treatment. This phase helps to move the nutrients from the water. These nutrients could be detrimental to people’s health, so this is an important phase in treating the water.
Water Recycling and Reuse: The Environmental Benefits, Region 9: Water Program (2007) Retrieved September 36, 2007 from www.epa.gov
Even wastewater is usable. Right now with the drought, wastewater would be very helpful in allowing people the ease of watering their gardens and lawns. The earths naturally recycles which is why people should model the earth and take up recycling to do what they can, to help.
GE Water and Process Technologies (2007) Retrieved October 11, 2007 from http://www.gewater.com
GE offers some great technologies for family life. Their newest system is called a membrane bioreactor system. This is for home use and allows families to take charge of their environment by recycling in the home. This systems allows laundry, dish, and shower water to be recycled for reuse.
Scott, J. (2007) Increase in Peninsula Bills Expected. Water Ways. Retrieved from http:// www.insidebayarea.com on September 26, 2007.
As the San Francisco area is growing, so is the need for water. City officials are predicting that water usage will increase by 13 percent over the next 20 years. With the constant concern of global warming and the fact that the snow pack from the Sierra Nevada Mountains is melting at a higher rate of speeds, other ways of water conservation are being looked at to include water recyling.
Kruszelnicki, K. (2006) Water Recycling. Great Moments in Science. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au on September 26, 2007.
This is the history of water. This article talks about what water is comprised of and what can be done with it. Australia is showcased because of the extreme dryness of the continent. This article goes in depth in to what happens to sewage when it is dumped into the ocean and how the waste breaks down in the water.
Associated Press (2007) San Jose looks to turning sewage water indo drinking water. News Fuze. Retrieved from http://www.mercurynews.com on September 26, 2007.
San Jose is hoping to partner with Santa Clara and then convince the public that water recycling is the way to go for the future. Thoughts of recycling were prompted by the threat of water shortages in the very near future. The major stumbling block could be convincing everyone that turning their sewage into usable water is what’s best for them.
Smith, J. (2007) Sticker shock: $1 billion for water. Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved from http://www.rockymountainnews.com on September 26, 2007.
Denver, Colorado must spend around $1 billion dollars to redo their water systems. This includes putting in recycling systems that they hope will at least produce non-potable water in the future. However, the city officials are hopeful that soon, even the drinking water will come from recycled water. In order to keep using ground water for drinking water, recycled water will need to be used for things such as watering the grass or washing the car.
Associated Press (2007) Water Recycling in Cheyenne Saves 1 Million Gallons a Day. Associated Press. Retrieved from http://www.localnews8.com on September 26, 2007.
A water recycling systems that is brand new to the city of Cheyenne is saving the city around 1 million gallons of water per day. The recycled water is being used as irrigation for the farmer’s fields. Ground water was previously used before the new recycling system was set up.
This article asks the big What if question. What if in the future recycled water becomes available to drink? Would anyone drink it knowing that it originated in the toilet? The thought of drinking water that came from someone else's toilet is not very appealing, but that is where the world of water recycling is going to. There are many places that already have this practice in place. Westernize countries have a much harder time getting over the "yuck factor" as the article states so clearly.
No comments:
Post a Comment