When you flush your toilet or run your dishwasher, the wastewater flows to a plant run by the Hampton Roads Sanitation District. Typically the water is treated, disinfected and released into local waterways. But HRSD has been working to recycle it instead.
The district is slowly expanding a program that converts sewage into drinking water and sends it underground for future use. The Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow, or SWIFT, launched in 2018 and operates out of a research center in Suffolk.
This month, HRSD surpassed 1 billion gallons of treated wastewater injected deep underground. By 2030, officials hope to add 50 million gallons per day. “I can’t believe it,” said Germano Salazar-Benites, a treatment process engineer for SWIFT. “I remember pressing the button when we started recharging and I was so excited.”
Umm, no thanks. Sure, treating sewage into drinking water is possible, but do you really trust the government to do it safely in the long haul?
The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Fall Colors up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.
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