Research Draft 1

Imagine the scene in “Waterworld” where Kevin Costner’s character urinates in a contraption that then distills the water. He pours the water into a plant which then provides drinkable water for him. Sure, there was a collective “Ewwww!” worldwide during that scene because of the gross factor; but was that idea so far fetched? Everyday, water is wasted through baths, showers, doing the dishes and flushing the toilet. But what if that water could be treated and reused? In the world, there is about one percent of water available for drinking. That same water is not just used for drinking; it is also used for all household functions. Recycling water is not new in nature, but has come to the forefront again as countries are re-evaluating their water needs. While some countries already participate in water recycling, other countries are unsure about trying it because the thought of drinking waste water is unappealing. “Wastewater has been treated to a level that is fit for drinking, consumers, especially the public, do not have a complete understanding of the treatment techniques for reusing waste water and find these ‘toilet to tap’ projects unacceptable.” Unfortunately the environment is in a tailspin towards global warming, so every effort should be made towards recycling. Although initially expensive to create and still somewhat controversial, water treatment facilities are important because they recycle already used water, save millions of gallons each day, and protect the environment from further harm.

There are at least two different types of treatment facilities. In the most common type of facility, the wastewater goes through a series of vats in the chemical process until at last it comes out clean. The water is tested before being sent out for reuse. The more the water is going to come into contact with a person, the more chemically treated it is to prevent sickness and disease from affecting any individual. A newer type of treatment facility is a man made “natural wetland”. Gravel and rock are put down with dirt. The waste water is placed on top and plants that are chosen because they help out the environment are planted. As the soil begins to break down, water trickles into pipes laid in the ground. The plants help by breaking down the waste quicker through sunlight and the natural oxygen they produce. Integrated Water Systems in North Carolina uses the natural technique when creating their water treatment facilities. They say that their facilities are “designed for nature by nature”. (Integrated water systems, 2007) This means that they have designed their systems around nature’s model. The chemical process is the most popular process to use, but people are starting to realize that recycling naturally is not only better for the environment but it is the natural process. The earth already recycles water naturally, so we should as well. Both of these water treatment processes only send out water to be used for watering lawns, washing cars, and anything else that could use non-potable water. This treated water is not used for drinking water. Besides those two major treatment facilities, there are now at home water treatment units that can be installed to recycle what is called “grey water”. Grey water is washing machine, dishwasher, and shower water. Pipes can be re-routed to go to this unit so that the water can be treated and reused. One example of grey water reuse is the Melbourne Linen Services in Australia. This linen company was given a grant to pay for their AquaRecycle Laundry Water Recycling System. Water that the launderer uses will be sent through this system to recycle over 80 percent of their water usage. According to the Ecos article, “Melbourne Linen Services…will reduce its potable water consumption by approximately 50 million liters per year – an 80 percent decrease”. (Ecos, 2007)

With an ongoing drought in several countries including America, the idea of saving water is becoming more attractive not only to residents but also to lawmakers and politicians. Right now Denver, Colorado is struggling to integrate a new system in which to recycle waste water. The price tag for a new system is right around one billion dollars, however, they expect to welcome another three million people into the state within the next five years. In order to meet future water needs, they need to make a decision now regarding their water use. With installing a new system, they hope to double the amount of treated water they currently use.(Rocky Mountain News, 2007) Cheyenne, Wyoming uses their treated water to water the parks. They estimate that they save over one million gallons of water each day by using treated water. (Local News 8, 2007) Australia is at the forefront of the debate right now as two cities fight over whether they really want to drink recycled water. The politicians are ready to implement the 68 million dollar facility to treat the water but residents are not ready yet. They are unsure about the idea of drinking purified wastewater or as science.org put it, “thinking that the water in the glass in your hand might have started off in someone’s toilet bowl”. (Nova – Science.org.au, 2007) San Jose, California is already looking ahead to the future by thinking of recycling sewer water into drinking water. While that is still a future dream, they are working on a recycling center to open in November. “The Orange County Water District will inaugurate in November a plant that will recycle up to 70 million gallons of waste water a day.” (News Fuze, 2007)

In the United States, many states are under a drought alert causing many places to have a water ration. Georgia is the state that is making the news lately. According to the Tampa Tribune, “Lake Lanier in North Georgia supplies drinking water for metro Atlanta’s 4 million residents”. (TBO, 2007) Lake Lanier is way below normal levels and although the Army Corp of engineers says that there is no emergency, the governor says there is. He is fighting with the state of Florida and the state of Alabama to stop water drainage to their states in hopes of preserving the water for Georgia. The water drainage from the lake helps many things such as endangered species or the seafood industry in Florida. (TBO, 2007) Many of the counties are now under very strict water rations and there is speculation that the lake only has about three months of water left for consumption. One of the reasons why Georgia is hurting so badly is because they never put a water conservation plan into place. Now that the worst has happened, there is a struggle to scramble and find a way to quickly conserve what should have been taken care of a long time ago. (Bluestein, 2007) If Georgia would put into place a good water recycling system, they would not be in the mess they are in right now. They would not be struggling with water rations and fines against people who use too much of their water.

With only approximately one percent of water available for consumption on the earth, measures should be taken to protect our environment. (Integrated water systems, 2007) We should look at the environment as a legacy for our children. If we don’t take care of it now, then what is left for our children? With global warming as a huge threat in the future and our water supply slowly dwindling as glaciers continue to melt at an ever-quickening pace; we need to turn towards water recycling as a means for protecting not only the environment but our water supplies as well. The rapid decline of glaciers and drying riverbeds should be a clue and a wake up call that global warming is here and water recycling will keep the global warming at bay. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, “Mr. Roberts estimates that 1.1 Billion people world-wide lack access to clean drinking water.” (Wall Street Journal 120)

When thinking of recycling, one does not readily think of water conservation. In fact, it would probably be last on the list with paper, glass, and aluminum first. (epa, 2007) However, water is very important to a healthy environment and planet. Without water, our planet cannot survive. It is important to put up with the expense of saving water now, than spending more in the future trying to save what was lost. We should quit being selfish and start thinking about our children and even grandchildren’s future. What legacy are we leaving them? Are we leaving them a beautiful environment or a desert wasteland? There are so many different environmental benefits in water recycling such as giving an additional source of water with out depleting what little we have left, it helps our ecosystem and keeps balance, it also helps prevent pollution. (epa, 2007) With so many benefits to water recycling, more people should get on board and do their part to recycle. Even saving the smallest drop of water is huge and could ultimately be the drop that saves the planet.

References

Clayton, S. (2007). Desalination: OPTION OR DISTRACTION? Ecos. 138, 33. Retrieved on October 11, 2007 from Ebsco Host.

Grey Water Central (2007) Retrieved October 11, 2007 from http://www.oasisdesign.net

Integrated Water Strategies (2007) Retrieved October 11, 2007 from http://waterrecycling.com

Water Recycling and Reuse: The Environmental Benefits, Region 9: Water Program (2007) Retrieved September 36, 2007 from www.epa.gov

GE Water and Process Technologies (2007) Retrieved October 11, 2007 from http://www.gewater.com

Scott, J. (2007) Increase in Peninsula Bills Expected. Water Ways. Retrieved from http:// www.insidebayarea.com on September 26, 2007.

Kruszelnicki, K. (2006) Water Recycling. Great Moments in Science. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au on September 26, 2007.

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.

Smith, J. (2007) Sticker shock: $1 billion for water. Rocky Mountain News. Retrieved from http://www.rockymountainnews.com on September 26, 2007.

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.

Bluestein, G. (2007) Georgia has no plan for drought. Associated Press. Retrieved from http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/071029/drought.shtml on October 31, 2007

Salinero, M. (2007) Georgia’s answer to drought riles neighboring governors. The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved from http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/01/na-georgias-answer-to-drought-riles-neighboring-go/?news-nationworld on October 31, 2007.

Membrane Technology. (2007) Rising demand for fresh water drives recycling systems market. Membrane Technology. Retrieved on October 19, 2007 from Ebsco Host.