From Toilet to Tap: California Aims to Purify Its Sewage Water

Wall Street Journal Media & Marketing ^ | August 15, 2002 | Jim Carlton

[snopercod]

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. -- Engineers in this arid region have a controversial solution for water shortages: Reuse the water that is flushed down toilets.

"There is a yuck factor, but we explain to people the quality of water will end up being actually higher than what we already use," says Ron Wildermuth, spokesman for the Orange County Water District. That agency is collaborating with the Orange County Sanitation District to build a $600 million sewage-purification system. When completed over the next 20 years, the system is expected to be the largest of its kind in the world.

[snopercod]

Flush twice and save a thirsty child...

[mgc1122]

Bottle it, and sell it to the NPR Volvo crowd as a sane alternative to water for the masses ... LOL!

[Tijeras_Slim]

If it's good enough for my dogs, it's good enough for California.

[Gophack]

Well ... this must be a plot from the bottled water industry to increase their sales. I will tell you, I don't care WHAT kind of process the water goes through, I will NOT drink water that came from a toilet! I leave that to the dogs!

[snopercod]

LOL! Hey Ernie, bon appetite!

[snopercod]

Yeah, our dogs do that too. They think it's a drinking fountain.

Another article: California Officials want to turn toilet water into drinking water. by chesty_puller

[gubamyster]

When completed over the next 20 years

It takes 20 years to build a plant?

They've been talking about this for years, but I'm with you, if this happens I'll be buying bottled water.

Remember..."if it's yellow, it's mellow. If it's brown, flush it down." - Tom Bradley.

[Looking for Diogenes]

I will tell you, I don't care WHAT kind of process the water goes through, I will NOT drink water that came from a toilet!

A lot of cities both get their drinking water from and dump their treated sewage in the same river, as do other settlements up and down stream. Same for lakes.

We have all drunk water that has at one time been in a toilet. This stuff just won't be quite as diluted.

I'd worry more about excreted medicines and industrial chemicals than microbes.

[NormsRevenge]

A shot of MTBE with a DioXin and Sewer Water chaser fresh from the Purifying Plant .. Yummmy!! Don;t forget the lime. It's GraYouT Favorite Drink. No wonder he's always so pale.

[Gophack]

I'd worry more about excreted medicines and industrial chemicals than microbes.

I hadn't thought of that.

Some cities water is great, like my mom's house. Some is awful -- like my house. It depends on a variety of stuff, but I know some of it is re-processed. I just don't think we need to go to the drastic need of intentionally processing toilet water for human consumption.

I mean, the liberals keep crying about global warming and the melting of ice caps ... we should have PLENTY of water, right? ;-)

[ArcLight]

I don't see what the fuss is about. We drink toilet water every day. When it rains, it's toilet water. When you go swimming, it's toilet water. Every drop contains H2O molecules that have been recycled through the innards of countless people and animals over billions of years. As long as it's been cleaned up, it's no big deal.

[Inkie]

Most water recycling programs designate the recycled water for landscaping, gardening, golf courses, public parks, etc. I never heard of recycling it for drinking before.

[Ditter]

Yep, I've had sh*t eating dogs too. lol

[BearCub]

I know - but even if every single foreign molecule were removed so it was 100% pure H2O, it would still somehow retain a 'sh!t essence'.

I don't wanna think about it!

-bc

[Villiany_Inc]

"... if this happens I'll be buying bottled water."

Where do you think the water for the bottles is coming from?

In Mother Earth News or Country Side (I subscribe to both), there was an article or advertisement a few months back that was about a company that does this same thing for households. Toilet,tap, and laundry all using the same water over and over... it gets processed on site. It was quite impressive. There was less than 5 gallons lost over a course of one month, if I remember correctly.
I will have to look for that issue when I get home.

[Age of Reason]

Send back the immigrants and there will be plenty of water.

[Looking for Diogenes]

even if every single foreign molecule were removed so it was 100% pure H2O, it would still....

You'd better not visit New Orleans. It is downstream from millions of toilets and it gets every drop of its drinking water from the Mississippi.

[pray4liberty]

I just don't think we need to go to the drastic need of intentionally processing toilet water for human consumption.

Maybe they ought to just irrigate fields with it? After all, most fertilizer is...shall we say...doo-doo?

[Looking for Diogenes]

Send back the immigrants

Send back the immigrants and their descendents and there won't be anyone left. Yes, that would solve the water problem...

[gubamyster]

Where do you think the water for the bottles is coming from?

But, but.....I've seen the commercials, it comes from pure mountain springs. Maybe I'll just stick to bottled beer.