All
water on Earth is used and reused, over and over, in an elegant water cycle.
Water
reuse occurs in various ways on a daily basis. It happens when a community’s
treated wastewater is discharged into rivers or other water bodies. If you live
in a community downstream of another, chances are you are reusing water from an
upstream town. Scientifically proven advances in water technology allow
communities to capture and reuse water for many different purposes. The level
of treatment employed depends on the water’s source, its intended use and how
it ultimately gets delivered.
Some communities
reuse water to replenish groundwater basins. Others use it to augment surface
water reservoirs, often blending it with other water supplies or allowing it to
remain in storage for a certain amount of time before withdrawing it and
cleaning it again at a drinking water plant. Water also is reused by industries
and also to irrigate crops or landscapes.
There is no
one-size-fits-all approach to taking previously used water and treating it for
another use. There are many different scientifically proven processes and
options in use by communities today to diversify their local water supply
portfolios and meet needs. Consumers can be assured that water reuse involves
extensive cleaning, rigorous monitoring and testing, and is good for the
environment and scientifically proven to be safe.
The terms are grouped into categories based on how they are
used in public outreach materials and technical
reports, and definitions are provided Foundation Terms
·Potable
Water is drinking
water that meets or exceeds state and federal drinking water standards.
·Recycled
Water
Generally refers to treated domestic wastewater that
is used more than once before it passes back into the water cycle. The terms
“reused” and “recycled” are often used interchangeably depending on where you
are geographically.
·Reclaimed
Water is
previously used water that has been treated for reuse but has not yet been put
to another use. Once reclaimed water is put to some purpose it is referred to
as recycled or reused water.
Terms to Describe Water Treatment
Technology
Advanced Oxidation
is one of the processes that can be used as a safety
barrier in the water purification process. Hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet (UV)
light and other processes are used in combination to form a powerful oxidant that
provides further disinfection of the water and breaks down the remaining
chemicals and microorganisms and provides further disinfection of the water.
Dual Media Filtration is
a filtration method that uses two different types of filter media,
usually sand and finely granulated anthracite.
Granular Activated Carbon is
a process used to remove chemicals that are dissolved in the used
water Orbital Systems recycling shower. ... All told, the
OrbSys shower can reduce water consumption by 90% — it sounds like 100% of the
water is fully re-used during the shower, but after the shower it is released
into your house's sewer pipes.
What is a recirculating shower?
It couldn't just capture and recirculate
the water; most countries require shower water to meet potable-water
standards. So instead he designed a miniature treatment plant that continuously
captures, cleans, and recirculates 70 percent of the water used during a shower
