Article 7: Damming evidence: Communities turn to reusing wastewater as scarcity threatens
One of the biggest problems we face today is water scarcity. Unfortunately, people don’t act until they are punched in the face with the fact there is little to no clean water. Such was the case with Orange County as water scarcity finally pushed them to make huge leaps in environmental innovation. The article outlined many solutions to the problem including, from cheapest to most expensive, smart-meter leak detection, desalination of brackish water (usually in aquifers), wastewater recycling, stormwater capture, reservoirs, and ocean desalination. There are a lot of overdrawn aquifers just sitting waiting to be filled with wastewater to be cleansed and made useable again.
According to the article, many countries such as Canada, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand have rechargeable well fields. Essentially, they recharge aquifers by pumping or draining water into them. Despite dams being the second most expensive option, communities refuse to switch to more long-term options not because of monetary reasons but because of politics. There is also a so-called “yuck factor” involved. People don’t like the idea of using wastewater that had been purified.
We give value to something based on how much we pay for it. Water is perhaps the most valuable source on Earth but if we look at how much it costs, the price does not reflect that value. As I read in an EPA article about water services, there is a perception that water is worth little because we pay little to no money. There are plenty of easy and cheap—or cheaper compared to traditional options out there. But people are stubborn and set in their ways and they don’t act until the issue becomes critical. Thankfully, as more evidence compiles in proving climate change is real, legislations are finally cracking down on those who contribute to the problem. I hope this issue gains some much-needed traction in this period from that.
Source: GreenBiz
Author: Jacques Leslie