SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY
Report Backs Greater Use of Recycled Wastewater
from the Los Angeles Times (Registration Required)
Opponents malign it as "toilet to tap." But a new National Research Council report says that reclaimed water can contribute a growing portion of the nation's drinking water supplies and be as safe as conventional sources.
The assessment is especially relevant to Southern California, which has been a pioneer in recharging local aquifers with treated wastewater but still sends most of its runoff and treated water to the Pacific Ocean. A decade ago, public outcry and electoral politics thwarted a Los Angeles plan to partially replenish San Fernando Valley groundwater with recycled supplies.
Not to worry, concluded the scientific panel that wrote the report: "We can really say that there is no difference from the risk standpoint," said Jorg Drewes, a water reuse expert who was on the panel. "You can have a supply that is as safe as the current drinking water supplies."
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