From Toilet to Tap
I know, yuck. Sure, that’s quite a natural reaction to any plan to recycle, well, sewage. I know Raven just about threw up. But I’ll tell you, it’s not that bad. I think the only reason this really hasn’t been done before it that simple reason: it sounds nasty. But it really isn’t.
What do you think happens to your sewage, anyway? Where do you think it goes? Do you think it just magically disappears once it gets flushed? It goes through the pipes (unless you have a septic system in your yard — you’ll know by the green spots) and to a wastewater treatment plant. And know what they do with it after they take all the nasty stuff out? They dump it in a river or the ocean! In Florida, they just pump it 3 miles offshore and dump it in the ocean. It’s fine.
Think about it — many people have wells and septic tanks. What you think is going on there? Yup, the sewage is treated, then released back into the ground, where the people pick it up with their well! Other than the “ick” factor, there’s absolutely no reason to NOT recycle this waste. Yes, provisions have to be made (and are, in both situations) for the solid waste, but that’s all. And in this case, they’re not even considering actually using the wastewater (after it’s cleaned) — they just want to pump it back into the ground where it will get naturally filtered and head back into the aquifer.
I’m not sure spending $481 million of government money is needed, but the concept is there and we’ve been doing it for a long time. And if you really don’t like it, just keep buying that bottled water stuff!
Popularity: 16% [?]
Possibly similar posts - Recycling is Evil - Who Owns Water? - Americans for America - Breakin’ the Law - NC Government Creates… More Government!
You’ve just ruined me for life as far as drinking tap water goes! LOL!!!! I’m with Raven, Icky Poo!!! I wonder if one can shower with bottled water????
Oh come on! I’ve drunk the stuff they pump out of the water treatment plants! Heck, I’m trying to figure a way right now to recycle gray water (shower and bath waste) to use it to water the lawn (in a way that doesn’t cost a damn fortune).
Now that makes sense. What about using a charcoal filtering system? Probably too simple.
Oh, and I was just joking about the shower… but the bottle water… naw. LOL!!!
The expense is in putting in all the plumbing and tearing up what’s already there. If I build another house, I think I’ll set up a system like that.
What does your wife think of the idea? I think most women get freaky over that! I do think it would be a great way to keep grass green without pulling water out of the underground water table. Right now, I pay for “city water” that is pumped out of wells and is loaded with lime and rust… which I had to buy a new watersoftner plus salt all the time. How messed up is that?
Indeed, most women I talk to aren’t crazy about the idea, that’s for sure! And guess what — if you’re like many cities, you have to pay for the water you take in AND pay again for all the water that goes down the drains (including some city storm drains)! That’s another reason to recycle the water — you don’t have to pay someone else for it.
Hummmm… the tightwod in me likes that idea! Did you say… save money?
Well, that’s the problem with a retrofit — you spend so much on the outlay that you never get back the initial investment. However, if you do it with the initial plumbing (split return pipes and such), you can save money on water bills and sewer bills.
Water that is good enough to water grass would be OK after being heated to bath and wash things with too I would think. Or just to run it through a filter and return it to the ground to finish the job would be a good thing.
Exactly. Just the toilet water really needs to get shipped off. (Well, unless you have a septic tank yourself, and even that’s got to be emptied sometimes).
All the more reason to live in the country… have a septic with lots of laterals. Only problem… usually internet access in the country stinks.
That’s why man invented satellites.
But are satellites as good as cable??? LOL!!!
Heh….someone else mentioned to me, today, that human waste is…uh…natural…and other than time, it doesn’t really need to be cleaned. The Earth is a very good filtering system of it’s own; not just humans either, but all animal waste are taken care of by Mama Nature.
I never thought of it that way.
The water we use to flush our waste is considered contaminated, but again if it’s treated I guess it’s fine.
Yay, another convert! Heh.
You know, being converted to the idea of recycling waste water by an Ogre is kind of, well, … uh… Weird!!!! LOL!!!
Well, I didn’t ask you to recycle MY waste water…