The History of Recycled Water and Waste Water Q and A

Isnt recycled water part of nature?

Yes! Water recycling happens naturally in the water cycle, also known as the hydrological cycle. There is no new water. Natural recycling occurs when moisture evaporates from the earth, and rains down on the earth. It occurs when rain and animal wastes seep into the ground to be filtered through soil, sand and stone into the water table, to be returned clean through natural springs, and man-made wells. In nature, impurities are removed from water, both as they travel through layers of earth, and by evaporation, and precipitation.
What is the history of quality and human health as it relates to recycled water?
While natures way of recycling water is healthy, mankind created some new dimensions in pollution which are not easily repaired, and have resulted in disease and pestilence historically. There is a right way and a wrong way to recycle water, and from the dawn of civilization until the end of the 19th century humans polluted water with raw sewage and other waste waters without a care, and then drank from the same rivers. This is not the proper way to recycle water.
Who developed the worlds first municipal sewer systems?
The history of municipal and indoor plumbing dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Like most early providers, their system only delivered sludge from the inner cities and deposited it into bodies of water.
When were the first conservation laws passed?
In 1388 English Parliament took action to forbid the dumping of waste and filth into rivers, and ditches but obviously the law was not enforced, and resulted in typhoid fever outbreaks throughout history.
When were measures taken that effectively prevented pollution?
Until the 20th century nothing was done to effectively prevent the pollution of rivers and streams with wastewater, even though the rivers also served as a major source of drinking H2O. With the advent of the industrial revolution new types of contamination entered the waterways of the world, and poisoned hundreds of thousands before proper laws were passed to protect them. The first considerations for action occurred in the late 19th century, due to massive poisonings, cholera and typhoid outbreaks in North America and Europe. It was not until 1900 that the first conservation efforts took place. Even in the late 20th century, contamination of rivers with raw sewage continued to be a serious problem, despite legislation, conservation efforts and protests.
Can pollution be reversed?

A lot of damage was done to the earths water because of industrialization, but efforts to control pollution are generally effective when properly enforced. Today our streams and rivers are much cleaner than they were before efforts were made to improve pollution. However certain chemical contaminants cannot be effectively removed by modern technology. Many contaminants from pharmaceutical companies present unique hazards, including antibiotic resistant bacteria.
What is recycled water as it relates to conservation in California?

Water from sewage and industrial waste water are collected and purified for re-use for irrigation, and for further industrial applications. This recycled water is not considered potable water to be used as drinking H2O. It has been cleaned to the point that it is deemed safe to be used for non-drinking H2O applications. This not only conserves potable water, it also prevents treated kind from being dumped directly into rivers and streams.
What is the future of recycled water?

NASA developed a human waste reclamation bioreactor, which produces clean fresh H2O from urine, and soil so clean it can be used to grow plants from human feces. The technology has been used in space since 1998.Unfortunately the system is currently not cost effective for use here on earth.
For more information about Water Conservation and Recycled Water please visit Central Basin website now.