03-05 Toilet to Faucet - John Bulloch

The treatment of waste water or sewage is about sending it back into rivers, lake and aquifers. But recent “toilet to faucet” technologies take treated waste water and turn it into potable water. Drinking former waste water is a little “yucky”, but it’s actually purer than distilled water.

Childhood cottage memories are all about “out-houses” and “septic-systems” designed and positioned to ensure there was no pollution of the lake which people used for bathing and drinking.
The next stage of water management was hooking large lake homes to the townships sewer system which pumped the waste to a water treatment plant that screened out paper, oil, solids, and even sand. The water was not drinkable but pure enough to pump back into the lake.
With the world getting warmer and water becoming a life and death commodity, the issue of sending treated waste water back into rivers and streams does not make sense. Everything is about making waste water potable.
I first started thinking about water technologies visiting Israel in 1993 and being shown a dual flush toilet in our hotel room with a button for water waste and a button for solid waste. Less water is required for flushing water waste. And, with every new toilet being a dual flush device the water savings are huge.
And not surprising Israel being both water stressed and innovative, is a leader in all forms of water treatment. 87% of its waste water is recycled, essentially for agriculture.
But in terms of waste water becoming potable, the leaders are Namibia and Singapore. But every nation is worried about shrinking water supplies for both agriculture and drinking. So, they are all into the technologies of the future.
Is it desalination or “toilet to faucet” technology. Both are important, but using waste water rather than salt water to make drinking water is cheaper and less energy intensive.
In the final treatment of water for drinking, the water goes through tubes with microscopic pores that lets only water through. Then the water is pressured through membranes. Then it gets a shot of ultraviolet light.
The problem is that the public thinks drinking water that originally came from toilets is a bit “yucky”. And yet the water is purer than distilled water.
So this is the future. Waste water not going back into streams and rivers and whatever, but into further treatment and city water pipes.
What is important about ”toilet to faucet” technology is that one of the leaders is Southern California. Once they get their act together they will sell their know-how to the world.