Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
To learn more about water recycling and reuse and some of the
many success stories across the country, check out the following:
•
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 Water
Program:
“Water Recycling and Reuse: The Environmental
Benefi ts,” http://epa.gov/region9/water/recycling/
WateReuse Association:
http://watereuse.org, or the nonprofi t
industry organization's new community outreach web site,
http://athirstyplanet.com.
•
Another success story is in South Florida where surface water is
being diverted for the Everglades, and reverse osmosis (a purifi cation
process of forcing the water through a membrane under high pressure
to remove the salts and impurities) is making up some of the demand
for new water, says Sims. “The city of Hialeah, in partnership with
Miami-Dade County, is building a plant that takes brackish groundwa-
ter that's available in abundant supply, fi lters it, and makes it available
for potable use. The salt brine [left over from the process] is sent to an
injection well and goes back down below, where it came from.”
WHAT ABOUT LAND DEVELOPMENT?
As you've read, how we develop land—with impervious surfaces
such as asphalt, concrete, and the like—exacerbates the need
to replenish aquifers by paving out the Earth's natural ability to
replenish its water supplies. The drenching rain turns to a fl ood
that runs off or parking-lot lake that evaporates, instead of return-
ing the water to the ground. But is it plausible to reconsider the
ways land is developed? How about an emphasis on leaving room
for replenishment, rather than paving vast expanses of land?
Impervious No More
Some cities, towns, and states have begun to opt for more water-
friendly surfaces instead of traditional impervious pavement.
Subdivisions and commercial development also can be designed
with water sustainability in mind. We mentioned some initiatives in
