BACC Editor on Monday, 19 September 2011 22:37

Western Cities Adopt ‘Toilet-to-Tap’ Water Recycling

Big Springs, Texas will soon join a growing list of Western cities that practice “indirect potable water reuse” to manage the freshwater shortage that is continually exacerbated by rising populations and ongoing droughts. The $13 million Big Spring Water Reclamation Plant – the first of its kind in Texas to use recycled wastewater to replenish drinking water – will supply 2 million gallons of water each day to Big Springs and to three nearby cities starting early next year.

While such a strategy is popularly referred to as “toilet-to-tap”, the recycled water should not be misunderstood as going directly into the tap water distribution system. Before reaching home faucets, the water first undergoes stages of microfiltration, reverse osmosis and high-intensity chemical and ultraviolet light treatment before being channeled into a lake or reservoir to blend with freshwater, and then pumped back into the facility for advanced treatment and testing.

For decades, cities throughout the U.S. have used recycled wastewater for irrigation purposes. Persistent drought, projected population growth and predicted freshwater shortages now force city officials in the West to seriously consider the “toilet-to-tap” strategy as a solution despite Americans being squeamish with the idea.

This summer saw Texas face over 40 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and its third worst recorded drought. If the scorching drought conditions in West Texas persist through next year, one of three reservoirs in the area may dry up, which means that the Colorado River Municipal Water District’s water supply could be reduced from 65 million gallons a day to 45 million a day according to John Grant, the district’s general manager.

Cities in Arizona and California have already adopted “toilet-to-tap” programs. In 2007, the Orange County Water District opened its $480 million Groundwater Replenishment System (GRS), the world’s largest treatment plant devoted to purifying wastewater to augment drinking water supplies. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is currently working to implement a $700 million water reuse plan modeled after the GRS so that the city can become less dependent on importing water from Northern California and the Colorado River.

Although the latest technology guarantees recycled wastewater meets EPA drinking water standards, public acceptance remains a challenge. As more Western cities such as Big Springs begin adopting a “toilet-to-tap” strategy and educating the public about it, however, the hope is that old stigmas associated with water reuse will be flushed down the drain.