Reducing Drinking Water Shortages By Use of Recycled Water...

We never know the worth of water, until the well is dry. -- Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia #5451 (1732) For every technological advancement there is generally a need or purpose associated with it. Water recycling is no different. Several regions of the United States are in the middle of a drought. Regional droughts have become much more common in the past 50 years. Drought prone areas, thanks to many water conservation programs, already use less water per capita than areas of the country with plentiful water resources. Due to tremendous advances in technology, we now have the opportunity to take water conservation to the next level. By reusing our water we can cut down the amount of fresh water used and better protect our†¦show more content†¦In California these levels have been brought down even further to 10 mg/L each. At the San Jose/Santa Clara treatment plant, because of the high impact environmental zone the requirements are even more stringent. So much in fact that the water produced already meets recycled water quality levels. This facility discharges water wit h a SS level of 2 mg/L and a BOD of 4 mg/L. As a comparison, potable (drinking) water has levels of 0.0 - 0.2 mg/L each. PROFESSIONAL ISSUES: Now that we have this new technology, several issues may be raised as how to handle it. Who should make the decisions on how far recycling water should be taken? Recycled water could be used at a drinking source if we choose to take it to such levels. In some cases we already do such without necessarily realizing it. All along the Mississippi River water is taken out for municipalities for usage and discharged back into it when finished. Downstream these actions will be conducted again and again for over a thousand miles. In this case the extracted water has already gone through much â€Å"natural† cleaning and will be cleaned disinfected at a potable water treatment facility before distribution. LEGAL/POLICY ISSUES: There are also many legal issues that will need to be addressed. Taking additional measures to This Nuclear Plant in Arizona uses recycled water for cooling purposes. clean our wastewater and provide distribution back to the public will require large amountsShow MoreRelatedSolutions to the Clean Water Shortage Essay592 Words   |  3 Pagesto the Clean Water Shortage Solution 1 The creation and development of desalination plants is a widely implemented solution to the clean water shortage. However, there are many reasons why it would be a good idea and some about why it would not. Pros Desalination would give us the clean water that many nations need. Many regions, particularly the Arabian peninsula, Australia, northern Africa, and South and Central Asia. It will also provide us with an extremely large source of water. 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