By Farnia Naeem and Hui Hui (Helen) Yee
Although this article did not discuss New York, it is not difficult to imagine a situation in which clean water will be scarce in many other parts of the world. It seems that reclaiming water is a good way to preserve the natural clean water supplies, but the “yuck factor” remains a big hurdle standing in its way. The question then becomes: should cities that do not import water or face droughts begin reclaiming water to prevent low groundwater problems in the first place?
Certainly, from a strictly environmental perspective, reclaiming water sooner rather than later would be the more sustainable option, as it would decrease the depletion of natural groundwater supplies. Additionally, since there is no need to mix reclaimed water with drinking water, cities that are growing quickly but are not currently in danger of facing water shortages can begin using reclaimed water for industrial purposes. This proactive planning will provide ample time to gather the resources necessary to build an efficient water reclaiming facility. Thus, when New York City is faced with low water supply it will already have the materials in place to implement a plan to begin adding reclaimed water to the drinking water supply.
Needless to say, this will require money, political initiative, and public support. Programs that educate people about the reclaiming water process should also be introduced so that people learn about the water quality of reclaimed water and will be more willing to drink it. After all, the mixing reclaimed water with drinking water would be pointless if individuals turned to bottled water as an alternative to tap water. Perhaps if New York City leaders begin campaigning now, residents will have overcome the “yuck factor” by the time it is necessary for New York to add reclaimed water to the drinking water.
#1 by Saar Shemesh on February 14, 2012 - 5:45 pm
I completely agree with Farnia and the article here, although maybe from a more militantly pro-reclaimed-water angle.
For people to claim that it is unclean, or gross, is frankly, ignorant. In New York City, we’ve been blessed for a long time with some of the best water, if not the best water, on Planet Earth, but that is not to say that we will have access to this delicious reservoir water for as long as we live, or our children live. Especially with the potential for hydrofracking to diminish and destroy most of the NYC water supply, I hardly think of the “yuck factor” as a deterrent to establishing new access to clean water, whether it’s coming from our own toilets, or a new source. If you consider what’s entering your body; left on the cups that aren’t washed properly at restaurants, and how disgusting the doorknobs are in public bathrooms, let alone the faucets that people TOUCH after using the TOILET and how truly disgusting those might be, then the concept of reclaimed water is really not disgusting in comparison.
I don’t exactly love the concept of my toilet water being the same water that runs from my tap, but I believe that sustainability and the attempt at repairing the mess we’ve made of our planet and it’s resources is not about doing things that are simply comfortable for us, if it was all so comfortable and easy, we’d all have gone green years ago. Sustainability requires a bit of struggle before real change is made and flawed systems are no longer flawed.
#2 by Tova Medetsky on February 15, 2012 - 7:11 pm
Having spent ten months studying in Israel a couple of years ago, I got to experience the wonder of not drinking delicious New York water. Israeli water is not exactly the best tasting water out there, and if your body is not used to it, then it can potentially cause an upset stomach…to say the least. When I first got there, I refused to drink tap water, resorting to constantly buying large water bottles. By the second month that I was there, I was onto tap water. Why? Because I realized that when I went to restaurants, they don’t give me bottled water! When I eat lunch and dinner at my school, you can be sure that they are not serving bottled water. Without even realizing it, my body had been immunized to the tap water. Once I realized that this had all happened without my even knowing it, the “yuck factor” was totally gone. I realized that I had been drinking tap water all this time and not even realizing! If that could happen, clearly it was not as gross as I was imagining it to be!
Obviously, given the choice, none of us would choose to drink reclaimed water over fresh spring water. But, as Saar has already pointed out, this is not an option that will last forever. So we have two other options. Either we can drink up all the fresh water that there is, and leave our children to deal with the problem, or we can begin to desensitize our bodies to it now, so that over time, the “yuck factor” will disappear. I am all for the second option.
#3 by Tahmina on February 15, 2012 - 7:26 pm
I think the idea of reclaimed water is rather innovative and may actually be an effective solution if it becomes more efficient in the long run.
The process is energy intensive, as stated in the article, which brings up the question of what type of energy source is being used to power it and how sustainable those sources are. If the water reclaiming technology could be altered to use renewable sources of energy it may be useful on a larger scale.
And when such techniques are fine tuned and refined, they may become a viable option for countries that face water shortages and could benefit from the reclaiming used water.
Although the “yuck factor” still remains, it will have to be one that people will learn to overlook, especially in places with water scarcity. The little water that can be found in such places is often laden with bacteria and disease. Even though the prospect of toilet to tap sounds revolting, the water itself is would be processed in a way that it would be free of such pathogens. In countries with such situations, any water is better than no water for them.
#4 by Joseph Langer on February 15, 2012 - 9:57 pm
According to Herbert Girardet in “Creating Sustainable Cities” having tap water that is viewed by the majority of people as drinkable, (as opposed to needing bottled water) is a vital step into creating a sustainable environment.
Therefore, if this “yuck factor” converts people to drinking bottled water it will have the opposite effect of what was intended (the transportation of bottled water comes at a great environmental cost, not to mention the plastic bottles). However, I agree with Tova, people will become desensitized to the reused water after being exposed to it. This process can easily be facilitated by educating the public of the various cleaning phases that the water goes through. Also, it is important to note, that although NYC water might be the best on Planet Earth, as Saar talked about, it didn’t start that way. Our waters’ journey from Upstate New York to our taps is filled with filters and disinfection processes not unsimilar to the purification that the wastewater goes through.
I think that this option is a good one in very extreme cases of water shortages, because after all as Tahmina pointed out, even reused water is better than no water at all. Also, the energy use to filter the water will have negative consequences to the environment, and the cost to implement this technology may be to great. If we can find a way to make this a better option it is clear (to me at least) that this will be the future of “green technology”.
#5 by Hayoung Ryu on February 15, 2012 - 10:33 pm
Honestly speaking, I don’t believe that using recycled water (originally from the toilet) is going to cause any physical disaster to the health of human body. As Carol Nemeroff mentioned, the “yuck factor” is really in the mind of the people – an inevitable psychological effect that would occur to someone with the common sense that toilet water is, in fact, dirty. But opportunities come up to be seen and used as effectively as possible. Yet, it’s very true that most people would be reluctant to choose reclaimed water over clean water (under the condition that clean water is available). And I probably am no exception to this. However, considering the future of New York City, it may be a necessity for NYC (and the State of New York) to begin researching for an effective mechanism for recycling toilet water – hopefully one in which is more energy-efficient than the one practiced in Southern California. Though it will take a lot of researching and political measures to really come up with an alternative method to obtaining adequate supply of tap water, it is always better to be prepared earlier than to later be struck with the dilemma without any solution.
#6 by Oleksandr Dudnyk on February 15, 2012 - 11:05 pm
Reclaimed water would increase our supply of drinking water. Water is a valuable resource, and in some parts of the world is more precious than gold. Many people die every year from water shortage or due to contaminated water supplies. Reclaiming water would meet many people’s needs for this valuable, precious resource. Many people do not want to drink processed water because they are afraid it may harm their body in some way. This is not really the case, as the article confirms by quoting the new National Academy. The Academy states that the risk from potable water reuse does not seem to be higher than the risk for usual water treatment. Nevertheless, people will be reluctant to accept reclaimed water use in their daily lives due to psychological fears associated with drinking previously impure water. The article also states that, “There are currently no national standards for water reuse processes, only for drinking-water quality.” I am sure as these standards are established, people will become more willing to drink reclaimed water. I agree with Farnia that the public should be educated about the benefits of reclaimed water use.
#7 by shdienstag on February 16, 2012 - 11:26 am
The environmental and economic (taking into account the costs of a high water table) benefits of reused water seem rather convincing. Reading the article I had one recurring thought: They need a better marketing team! Who would want to even touch something after hearing the slogan “toilet to tap”?
#8 by Rahima Nayeem on February 16, 2012 - 12:23 pm
One reason why this “yuck factor” exists for Americans is because we haven’t really faced a water crisis. We always have access to clean, fresh water, which is why it’s hard for us to think that we might need to be drinking wastewater. We waste so much water, and we don’t even realize because we think that we’ll always have clean water to drink and use. We don’t think of water as such a big deal because we’ve had it all our lives, and we don’t really have to do anything to get it.
Reclaiming water is what we have to do in order to prevent a water crisis. We need to start thinking of ways to reuse water because the demand for water is increasing. The population is increasing, climates are changing, and if we don’t start using water wisely, we’re going to face a water crisis. That is why I think the idea of reclaiming water is a brilliant idea. It’s true that as of now, we don’t have to add it to our drinking water, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use it for other purposes. Also, as Farnia mentions, if we do ever run low on water, we can always turn back to this technique and add the reclaimed water to our drinking water. At that point, I don’t think people will look at where the water is coming from anymore. They know that they need water to survive, and so they’ll take any water. Drinking wastewater does sound dirty, but we have to remember that this water is treated and cleaned before it is added to the water supply. As Belinda Smith, a Surfrider volunteer says, “It isn’t toilet to tap. It’s toilet to treatment to treatment to treatment to tap.” Once the public learns that reclaimed water is cleaned and purified, they will get over the “yuck factor.”
#9 by seelamyeung on February 16, 2012 - 12:24 pm
Reclaiming water to increase our drinking water supply is an excellent idea and should be implemented earlier. With the scarcity of water and heightened awareness for sustainable development, reclaiming water would be a big step compared to just plans laid out by higher officials. Actions speak louder than words.
I think that with an education and more informational sessions on reclaimed water use people would be less disgusted by the idea of drinking reclaimed water. I am sure that reclaimed water could not be worst than the conditions some restaurants (not pointing fingers) and the meat that we all just enjoy (steak!).
#10 by Eden Goykadosh on February 16, 2012 - 12:55 pm
I think this whole debate is slightly pointless- after all, it seems that sooner or later reusing water will be the only option. It is just the matter of when public officials will decide to put this system into practice. Based on the premise that resources are limited, eventually they will be diminished. The sooner they establish this system, the more time they have to adjust and tweak the system. By the time that this is the only option for water, it will already have had exposure to the public and undergone improvements.
#11 by Jenna Peet on February 16, 2012 - 1:53 pm
I don’t think this debate isn’t anything new. A simple Google search of “New York City wastewater” showed that New York City already does “reclaim” water — and not just from the water and waste that gets flushed down your toilet. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection issued a PDF that states “sanitary and industrial wastewater, rainwater and street runoff are collected in the same sewers and then conveyed together to the City’s treatment plants… known as a combined sewer system.” Frankly, if we’re going to be discussing the “yuck factor,” this fact is much more repugnant. But, we also live in a city with extremely high standards for drinking water quality, and the water that goes through both wastewater plants and natural reservoirs receives extensive treatment to remove contaminants before its put into circulation.
So really, what’s all the fuss about? You can always invest in a Brita filter. And plastic gloves and a face mask; you’re probably a germaphobe.
#12 by Vanessa Rene on February 16, 2012 - 2:19 pm
“One reason why this “yuck factor” exists for Americans is because we haven’t really faced a water crisis. We always have access to clean, fresh water, which is why it’s hard for us to think that we might need to be drinking wastewater.”
I /definitely/ agree with what Rahima’s saying here.
We, as people living in NYC (with some of the best water in the country, even the world) would be coming from a very privileged and obnoxious place if we complained about using reclaimed water.
That being said, the “yuck factor” is something people would have to get over when water does become a scarcity where we live.
And the water HAS been treated/filtered/etc, so it IS safe to drink…there shouldn’t really be much of a debate about it if the water is clean.
#13 by Michael Squitieri on February 16, 2012 - 3:00 pm
I see that many of you are quick to condemn the public to “get over it” when it comes to reusing waste water. I completely agree with the idea of reusing waste water as tap water, but I find myself thinking of, if I went to the water treatment plant, whether or not I would drink the recycled water. I would definitely think twice about it!
I think it will be definitely difficult to eliminate this yuck factor, but I believe it will be possible. Politicians and scientists would have to spin this in a way that is pleasing and acceptable. “Toilet to Tap” is perhaps the most unappetizing phrase imaginable, and I like how Singapore marketed it as “NEWater.” Honestly, once the cleansed water is incorporated into society, people will quickly get over the fact that it started as waste water.
I also think necessity will drive this development. We (at least New York) are not in the dire situation of drought and are completely comfortable with our water supply now. It’s also much more expensive to clean waste water than it is to get new water from reservoirs. Hopefully a cheaper technique is developed so areas that are prone to droughts would be able to transform waste water into a secondary reservoir.
#14 by Deborah on February 16, 2012 - 4:57 pm
The “yuck factor,” while illogical, is not counter-intuitive. I can understand why people would be reluctant to drink reclaimed water, even if only because they aren’t informed. This is why, in my opinion, education, as Farnia mentioned, is key. People generally want to know (and have a right to know) about anything affecting them, and educational resources would provide them with the facts from which to form their opinions. I think understanding the chemical processes in reclaiming water and the surrounding sustainability issues will help people think rationally. Reading about the “double-disinfectant process” might help people let go of the “yuck factor.” (I personally found the disinfectant process really interesting). That being said, people’s reactions also depend on how the issue is framed. Meaning, as stated by Belinda Smith, “It isn’t toilet to tap.” That wording, if anything, will elicit the “yuck factor.” “It’s toilet to treatment to treatment to treatment to tap” is more reassuring.
The article mentions that “there are currently no national standards for water reuse processes.” While the prospect of using reclaimed water is very promising, I do think that there need to be regulations based on empirical evidence.
#15 by Igor Krane on November 14, 2012 - 8:45 am
Okay people, speaking of education and common sense, it is not just the “yuck factor,” first of all, a lot of women are on birth control, in fact a scary number of women are, birth control is a molecule, a hormone, that gets excreted with urine, that DOES NOT GET FILTERED for one reason, it just can’t. Because it cannot be filtered, it will start causing problems not just for men, but for women as well, we are already facing these problems, by recycling water it will only get worse. This method might work with rivers though so use it there, but god forbid on our sewer