Reclaimed water is a very controversial topic. Is it helpful and a good thing for the world? Or is it a safety concern? Every person has their own opinion. Many can speak for each side of the argument. Some studies have been done that prove to be correct for both sides of the argument. Some researchers say that reclaimed water is as safe as regular water from the tap. It also helps communities which are going through droughts. It can be used to water plants, even drink if the quality is deemed high enough, and much more. Other researchers say that reclaimed water is a hazard to people because it can contain heavy metals, pesticides, and pathogens that can contaminate the water. Some of the chemicals in reclaimed water are chloride, nitrogen, and phosphorous, none of which are terribly harmful to humans, but can cause damage to plant life. Also, many people just do not like the idea of drinking or even reusing reclaimed water. Reclaimed water could continue to be a controversial topic for a while because many people like the idea of reusing it, but many think that it is disgusting and potentially dangerous.
Where does this reclaimed water come from? Well, it is from several sources. In some places, the cities will collect rain water after a storm. This water is filtered for up to a year to make it as clean as possible. Other cities might gather waste water from toilets, showers, sinks, and drains. This water goes through filter after filter after filter to ensure the cleanliness of the water. Several large cities such as Los Angeles and Miami have already tried using reclaimed water to solve their water troubles. The goal of these “experiments” is to save as much of the good water as possible, especially during droughts. These “...
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...urkholder, J., Libra, B., Weyer, P., Heathcote, S., Kolpin, D., Thorne, P., et al. (2007). Impacts of waste from concentrated animal feeding operations on water quality. Environmental Health Perspectives, 11(2), 308–312. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1817674/pdf/ehp0115-000308.pdf
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Despite the accomplishments, water-borne diseases remain an issue of concern. “From 1971 to 1988 there were 564 infectious outbreaks in the United States involving nearly 140,000 people.” Bacteria are microorganisms that are of the kingdom Prokaryotae. When certain bacteria appear in places where they do not normally reside, they can cause illness.
The water supply of Florida is important for a number of reasons. But it is crucial because it not only helped develop human society but it is also continually sustaining it. There are a number of phases and processes that take place to make this happen.
...: In orange county, bacteria from runoff threaten not only the region's reputation, but also its way of life and tourism, officials say. Los Angeles Times, pp. 7-B.7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/docview/421636652?accountid=14749
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The bacteria and wastewater is mixed in an aeration tank and therefore the contaminants are removed by action of sorption and series of breakdown by the bacteria.
Postel, S.L., G.C. Daily and P.R. Ehrlich. 1996. Human appropriation of renewable fresh water. Science 271:785
Clean water is needed for good human and animal health, but as DoSomething.org states, over 1 billion people worldwide don’t have a means of getting clean drinking water, an...
It includes the water found in lakes, reservoirs, and groundwater that is shallow enough to be tapped at an affordable cost. These freshwater sources are the only sources that are frequently replenished by rain and snowfall, and therefore are renewable. At the current rates of consumption, however, this supply of fresh water will not last. Pollution and contamination of freshwater sources exacerbate the problem, further reducing the amount of freshwater available for human consumption. Something must be done if humans want to even survive in the near future: the lack of clean drinking water is already the number one cause of disease in the world today.
Hennigan, Robert D. "Water Pollution." Oxford University Press 19.11 (1969): 976-78. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.
Water Scarcity is harmful to human life because when water is poorly managed throughout the world, those who need water are deprived of nutrients they truly need causing them to die. This eventually affects the global population. Therefore many experts have proposed several solutions such as the LifeSaver Bottle, TrojanUVPhox treatment system, and Waste Water Recycling.
"Water Crisis & Solutions." Water Crisis & Solutions. Water For People, 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. http://www.waterforpeople.org/extras/crisis/water-crisis-and-solutions.html
Wastewater can be a fancy term used for the water that has been adversely affected by human activity like dishwashing, fertilizing crops, bathing and flushing the toilet.
Rogers, Peter. 2008. "Facing the Freshwater CRISIS. (Cover story)." Scientific American 299, no. 2: 46-53. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 4, 2010).