A California project can turn sewage into drinking water in less than 45 minutes and could be a blueprint for other water-scarce regions
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s the pumps whir around us, Denis Bilodeau motions to the liquid in the vats below. It looks like iced tea, but in fact it’s secondary treated sewage, cleaned of any solids by the plant next door. In less than an hour, and after three steps of processing, we will be drinking it – as pure water.
The Groundwater Replenishment System facility in Orange County, California, houses the pipes, filters and pumps to move up to 130m gallons each day – enough for 1 million people – processing it from dark to clear. The facility, which opened in 2008, is part of broader moves to help conserve water.
Bilodeau, the president of the water district, says: “This is going to be a blueprint for any community that’s facing water scarcity, or wants to have more locally controlled water.”
