Reclaimed Wastewater for Drinking: Safe but Still a Tough Sell
A new report highlights advancements in reclamation technology and predicts growth in treatment programs.
"Expanding water reuse could significantly increase the nation's water resource, particularly in coastal communities," said Rhodes Trussell, president of Trussell Technologies in Pasadena, California, and chair of the committee that wrote the report.
Treated wastewater, also known as reclaimed water, is commonly used for irrigation and industry. And many towns already rely on reused water simply because they draw water downstream from other municipalities’ wastewater release pipes.
"De facto reuse takes place throughout the country," Trussell said.
But getting the public to knowingly drink treated wastewater has been a tough sell.
(Related: "Raiding the Bread Basket: Use and Abuse of the Mississippi River Basin")
A new report by the National Research Council (NRC) that reviewed current wastewater treatment technologies found that the possible health
