Facing a limited supply of drinking water, Carroll County’s Westminster plans to draw from a surprising source — its own sewage.
This winter, the city of 20,000 will begin constructing a new building at its wastewater treatment plant, where already-treated wastewater will be purified with an array of special membranes and UV light, and sent into the city’s drinking water reservoir — rather than discharged into a creek.
Named PUREWater Westminster, it would be Maryland’s first project to reuse wastewater for drinking water, an already common practice in water-poor parts of the United States, like the Southwest, that is spreading elsewhere as a changing climate and burgeoning development threaten the availability of water.
A second Maryland water reuse project could come in Anne Arundel County, which is studying injecting purified wastewater into its groundwater aquifer, its principal source of fresh water.
Both projects would be classified as “indirect potable reuse,” since they would send purified water into the natural environment before sending it to residents’ taps.
The practice is gaining popularity on the East Coast, thanks to aging sewage treatment pants, as well as increased demand caused by population growth and a growing drought threat, said Patricia Sinicropi, executive director of industry group WateReuse.
Fortunately, we should be spared from this. Our aquifer is well managed, and our well system is adequate for the foreseeable future.
The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Biker Babe In Bikini up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.
Hmm, you do know that many places are doing that. Of course, instead of using it directly most just pump it back into the aquifer.
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