Move past the "yuck factor" by learning the benefits and science behind
recycling wastewater to beat climate change. In recent years, humans
have begun to turn the age-old taboo against mixing sewage and drinking
water on its head by using advanced treated wastewater to supplement a
city's drinking water supply. This increasingly widespread practice,
known as potable reuse, qualifies as nothing less than a drinking water
revolution. Water reuse offers a renewable, locally managed, and drought
resistant water supply. The Water Recycling Revolution tracks the story
of this development, examines the pros and cons, and explores its future
potential. In this book, William M. Alley and Rosemarie Alley answer our
most pressing questions: How do you get people to overcome the visceral
reaction known as the "Yuck Factor" and not only drink, but appreciate,
recycled water? What about all those pharmaceuticals and personal care
products that people casually flush down the drain? Will diverting
discharges from a wastewater treatment plant damage downstream users or
ecosystems that previously depended on that water? And what are the
implications for climate change? These questions are answered by delving
into the history of major water recycling projects from California to
Virginia, each with a unique story of what led them to develop potable
reuse, as well as the challenges they had to overcome. Additional
concerns addressed include pathogens, contaminants of emerging concern,
achieving acceptable risk, onsite and decentralized reuse systems, and
direct potable reuse. Recycling wastewater can make for a bright future
in the fight against climate change, and this book is a valuable
resource to convince readers.
