Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Roger Sims. He cites the Tampa Bay area in west-central Florida
and the St. Johns River area in northern and east-central Florida as
regions that are doing a good job of reusing water. South Florida, on
the other hand, has a way to go, he adds.
WATER TALES
Have a drink of (waste) water! That doesn't sound too
appetizing, but the technology exists to make it a reality.
Politics and perception may intervene, however, says
Orlando attorney Roger Sims. The perception is that it's
okay to return treated water to the natural environment—
into a river or stream, for example—or to inject it into
an aquifer and then recover it somewhere farther down the line.
Particularly with ultraviolet and other fi nishing techniques, the
water coming out of state-of-the-art plants is as good as you can
get anywhere. But people don't want to drink it.
El Paso's Ed Archuleta agrees. The technology exists to treat
wastewater and return it to a drinking water standard for direct po-
table reuse. The astronauts are doing it, but the country isn't quite
ready. There are still many unknowns, and much of the resistance is
psychological.
A recognized leader in water reuse and recycling is the Orange
County Water District (OCWD) that serves the water needs of nearly
2.4 million people in Orange County, California. Despite what
Archuleta suggests—that Americans may not be ready for “toilet to
tap” when it comes to their drinking water—OCWD overcame much
of the negative public perception with its Groundwater Replenishment
System, the largest indirect potable (water) reuse project in the world.
Every day 70 million gallons of highly treated wastewater is purifi ed
and then reinjected back into the ground—a portion of it is used as
a barrier to seawater intrusion, and another portion of it replenishes
deepwater aquifers. Water from the Groundwater Replenishment
System exceeds all state and federal drinking water standards, too.
(You can learn more about how OCWD's efforts do make a difference
at http://www.ocwd.com or http://gwrsystem.com.)
