An answer to US drought conditions may be in the toiletThe United States is facing a growing water problem. About half of the country is experie...

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An answer to US drought conditions may be in the toiletThe United States is facing a growing water problem. About half of the country is experie...
An answer to US drought conditions may be in the toilet
The United States is facing a growing water problem. About half of the country is experiencing drought conditions right now — and it's only March.

Climate change is making the problem worse, with rising temperatures intensifying drought. When rain does fall, it increasingly comes in intense bursts that can run off hardened, dry ground rather than slowly replenishing soils and aquifers.

Scientists warn that the situation could dramatically worsen in the future. The American Southwest and Central Plains regions may face "megadroughts" after 2050 — dry spells potentially longer and more severe than any seen in the past 1,000 years, according to NASA.

When water runs short, authorities typically respond by restricting use, raising prices or searching for new sources. But in some regions, options are in short supply.

"There's a water demand in arid places that has to be met. We cannot just say, 'Well, there's no water for Southern California or for Arizona or for West Texas,'" Bridger Ruyle, an environmental engineer at New York University, told DW.

A view of low water levels in the Colorado River from Hoover Dam A view of low water levels in the Colorado River from Hoover Dam
Prolonged drought in the US has caused water levels in the Colorado River to drop, depleting its reservoirsImage: Steven Heap/Zoonar/IMAGO
And as Americans face water restrictions, renewed interest in a source that once fell afoul of the "yuck factor" is growing: the toilet.

A recent survey showed those living in small communities would be willing to pay higher utility bills for a wastewater recycling program if it meant avoiding limits on their water use.

"This can be a sustainable great idea for some communities, because essentially you're really taking the most out of the supply that you're naturally given," Todd Guilfoos, a water economist from the University of Rhode Island who ran the survey, told DW.

How does wastewater recycling work?
America's modern sewage treatment goes back to the turn of the 20th century. That's when countries around the world set up systems to send the water that passes through toilets, showers and sinks to treatment plants.

Technology has advanced since then, though the premise is pretty much the same. Facilities first perform a primary treatment, removing solids from the water. Next comes secondary treatment, usually involving microorganisms that break down organic pollutants.

These stages typically get wastewater only clean enough to discharge safely into the environment. To make it drinkable or usable for farming, it has to go through tertiary treatment. That typically involves some kind of ultrafiltration and disinfection to eliminate pathogens, using ultraviolet light or chemicals like chlorine.

But most of America's wastewater plants aren't equipped for that critical tertiary treatment. Overall, they treat 33 billion gallons of water per day, but only recover about 7% of it for reuse, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Closing that gap would require massive investment in upgrading existing plants.

"Rather than building another dam or drilling another well or putting another catchment, we are already treating water. This is one of the most economical solutions to save water," said Samuel Sandoval Solis, a water resources expert at the University of California, Davis.

Attached link

https://www.dw.com/en/an-answer-to-us-drought-conditions-may-be-in-the-toilet/a-76287325

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