The Water Recycling Revolution by Alley, Rosemarie; Alley, William M.;

Short description:

"During the past two decades, recycling municipal wastewater for drinking water has gone from ""an option of last resort"" to an increasingly common practice. The Water Recycling Revolution tracks the story of this development, examines the pros and cons, and explores the future potential of recycling wastewater for both potable and nonpotable uses."

Long description:

"

A 2023 Choice Reviews Outstanding Academic Title
Move past the ""yuck factor"" by learning the benefits and science behind recycling wastewater to beat climate change.
In recent years, humans have begun to turn the age-old taboo against mixing sewage and drinking water on its head by using advanced treated wastewater to supplement a city's drinking water supply. This increasingly widespread practice, known as potable reuse, qualifies as nothing less than a drinking water revolution. Water reuse offers a renewable, locally managed, and drought resistant water supply. The Water Recycling Revolution tracks the story of this development, examines the pros and cons, and explores its future potential.
In this book, William M. Alley and Rosemarie Alley answer our most pressing questions: How do you get people to overcome the visceral reaction known as the ""Yuck Factor"" and not only drink, but appreciate, recycled water? What about all those pharmaceuticals and personal care products that people casually flush down the drain? Will diverting discharges from a wastewater treatment plant damage downstream users or ecosystems that previously depended on that water? And what are the implications for climate change? These questions are answered by delving into the history of major water recycling projects from California to Virginia, each with a unique story of what led them to develop potable reuse, as well as the challenges they had to overcome. Additional concerns addressed include pathogens, contaminants of emerging concern, achieving acceptable risk, onsite and decentralized reuse systems, and directpotable reuse. Recycling wastewater can make for a bright future in the fight against climate change, and this book is a valuable resource to convince readers.

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. America's Finest City
2. Early Days
3. Trailblazers
4. Breakthrough: The Orange County Story
5. From Toilet-to-Tap to Pure Water
6. Colorado's Front Range
7. Georgia and Virginia Have Water Reuse on Their Minds
8. Florida: The Long Road from Purple Pipes to Potable Reuse
9. Microbes and Natural Buffers
10. Contaminants of Emerging Concern
11. Achieving Acceptable Risk
12. Serving it Straight Up
13. Small Can Be Beautiful
14. One Water
Bibliography
Notes
Index
About the Authors