Water Recycling....

[Darian]

Interesting article in Monday's SacBee concerning a proposal by the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District to sell treated waste (spell that sewage) water :-s for drinking purposes.... :-k This proposal would require a partnership with the potential customer (some agency outside the Sacramento District) for purchase of our treated water for recycling purposes. :)

On the surface this is a unique but not entirely new approach to solving water availability and quality, apparently, is cheaper and easier than DeSal. 8-) (maybe, but I seem to recall that the cost of removal of the ammonia component of our waste water would approach a billion dollars :eek: )

There're some benefits and concerns to identify/resolve:

the proposal would help pay for the level of waste water treatment required to remove the Ammonia :) ,

stopping discharge into the sacramento River would reduce the volume of water available to the Delta (even tho polluted) :confused: ,

reducing discharges contaminated with ammonia would benefit the Delta. :nod: :nod:

Of course, this would make "no change" to the quality of water in the Delta if the customer/partner wouldn't draw the waste water allocation direct from the district by a connection.... :-k For example, this might happen where withdrawal occurs after the water treated by Sacramento is discharged into the Sacramento River, in a peripheral canal or even at the south Delta pumps. :\\

Anyway, Whaddaya thin' :?: :?: Would you drink treated recycled waste water :question: :question:

[davkrat]

There is a simple way to treat all that water... it's called more wetlands. What do you think the Stone Lakes Preserve is? That whole wetland is the final treatment stage of Sacramento's wastewater. Every city should be required to have a LARGE wetland as their final treatment, also it would be nice if all Ag runoff was sent through a similar natural filter, ever seen the foam floatilas leaving the drains from ag fields? I think you will see more and more of this in the future. Cleaner water and more habitat. That just makes too much sense, let's build a multibillion dollar treatment facility instead.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Years ago we had several waste treatment plants that drained into the Lower American River.

We visited an old friend who manage one of those plants, Gage Penson.

One side of the control room was a metal wall that was just full of gauges and levers.

There was a water faucet coming out of the middle of all those gauge's and levers.

While we where there he asked us if we wanted to have a drink? He open the faucet and filled a glass with that water, offered it to us, we said no and he drank it?

I don't know if it was an inside joke or what?

[Darian]

Altho I would support the suggestion of using wetlands as a major component of water treatment, it probably isn't realistic for an urban area with a population of approximately 1.5 million people; given the high volume of effluent to treat. :| Also, if it currently is the last step in the treatment process, it has failed to remove ammonia from the water discharged into the Sacramento River. :(

Given the value of real property and pressures for development in the Sacramento area, acquisition of more; even preservation of existing wetlands is expensive to say the least. :| When Elk Grove was in the infancy of the development cycle, Stone Lakes was considered for reclamation and development. Fortunately, that end was thwarted. :nod: Everything out to I-5 has been developed including artificial lakes/ponds. Before all of the development, the area north and south of Elk Grove Blvd and west of Bruceville Road had vernal pools every spring. :|

Maybe a smaller, more intensified process using artificial channels as has worked in other places would work and probably be more acceptable (less costly :?: ). Also it could produce some high quality compost as a by-product. :thumbsup:

Regardless, the question remains.... Would you drink treated, recycled waste water :?: :?: :?:

[metalhead]

Darian,

If you have chance visit the water treatment program in Arcata, California. They are using a series of fill ponds left by several large lumber mills on Humboldt Bay. The final fill pond has planted cutthroats. Lots of wildlife and shorebirds.

[Darian]

Tfisher,.... You hit it right on the head with, "....ignorance is bliss." :D

Interesting that San Diego County would vote down a recycling program when Orange County has implemented their own. :confused: Actually, I read in the Long Beach Telegram that L.A. County has been developing a recycling program to percolate their "grey water" in to the acquifer under Hansen Dam (valley area). :nod: Albeit with some protests by the locals.... Not complete but it's a start.... =D>

I'm a supporter of recycling and would not hesitate to use treated, recycled water. :) Besides, I could always substitute Some Bushmills Single Malt for sterilization purposes.... :p

[lee s.]

Isn't ALL water recycled......fresh to salt to evaporated to rain to fresh to........
I would not KNOWINGLY drink humanly recycled water. Ever hear of the sterile bass in Arkansas and other atrocities caused by our polluted RECYCLED water. However, there are MANY household uses of water where recycled would be fine in my house.....garden, showers, laundry, carwash, wash dishes, etc.
And why not make agriculture reuse their OWN water untill it is evaporated or soaked into the ground.....THEN give them a new supply. If it gets too dirty, they can clean up their own.
.....lee s.

[David Lee]

And why not make agriculture reuse their OWN water untill it is evaporated or soaked into the ground.....THEN give them a new supply. If it gets too dirty, they can clean up their own.


Past time that THAT happens !

I'm sure that big Agbusiness will figure-out a way to pass the cost along to US - wellfare queens that they are ......

D. -