Get Over it, There’s An Endless Supply of Water
If Hollywood is any indicator, water is the most powerful currency in the world. The theme of “water supply” is consistently recycled in American pop culture:
- Stryker (1983)
- The Ice Pirates (1984)
- Tank Girl (1995)
- Animals United (2010)
- Young Ones (2014)
- Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The plot is usually similar: there’s a desperate water shortage, high demand and, the power character is the mastermind who controls the water supply. Many of the films are laden with extremes in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Water, as an element, is so powerful, it demands attention.
In the U.S. there is a select group of power characters who are the quiet heroes lending their intelligence and imaginations to solving problems in a very real setting. The non-fiction heroes are the 150,000+ civil engineers who unceremoniously design and build the foundation of America’s amazing modern society — roads, bridges, drinking water, power grids, sea ports, and airports.
So, why is it so difficult for Americans to believe, truly believe, that one of the most powerful engineered solutions behind water supply can be trusted?
Americans need a shift in perception.
Population growth combined with aging infrastructure, exacerbated by water scarcity, is a surmountable challenge. Today, there are solutions to ease the stress on communities experiencing drought. Engineers are transforming drinking water with two processes:
- Direct potable reuse (DPR)
- Indirect potable reuse (IPR)
Both DPR and IPR involve a proactive decision to transform treated wastewater into drinking water. DPR takes treated wastewater and blends it directly into a municipal water supply without an environmental “buffering” phase. Whereas, IPR releases treated wastewater into groundwater or surface water and then eventually that water is reclaimed and treated (again) to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) drinking water standards.
Here are the top 5 reasons we need to trust DPR water transformation:
1. Saves Money: drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment typically occur in the same or nearby locations of a water treatment plant, requiring a short pumping distance for delivery. The close proximity of drinking water and wastewater facilities presents considerable cost savings for municipalities compared to IPR methods.
2. Eco- Friendly: the shorter pipelines used in DPR systems, require less energy to pump water over short distances. This produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and reduces the human carbon footprint.
3. Water Security: the short distance water has to travel in DPR pipes strengthens the system against external factors. According to EPA Guidelines for Water Reuse, DPR systems are less vulnerable to damage from earthquakes, floods, and other natural and human-made disasters. Whereas, long-distance water transmission systems are inherently more vulnerable to damage, leading to additional costs and maintenance.
4. High Quality: focus on the finished water quality achieved through treatment technologies, operations and management practices — rather than the source of supply. Today’s water treatment procedures ensure clean, safe, consistent drinking water, no matter where the water originates. DPR is being implemented in California and Texas with no adverse health impact reports.
5. Water Supply: providing another source for dependable, high-quality, safe, locally-controlled water supply.
It’s time for Americans to get over it.
Much of the public is misinformed or has a negative perception regarding DPR, yet the engineering behind the science is concrete. If we create jobs for dedicated PR experts to lead ongoing education, so be it (seems like a good problem to have). Most people are more comfortable with IPR — due to the extra step of returning treated wastewater into the environment — but your trust in both solutions can only benefit a society that ceaselessly uses water while the supply continues to dwindle.
Come on, who’s cheering for the hero?
Originally published at www.linkedin.com.
