Water is the soul of any city. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that sustainable water policies are a topic of discussion everywhere and one of the best ways to stretch every drop is by recycling water. Unfortunately, rumors and misinformation have surfaced around the subject. The concern is understandable, since clean water is essential for good health, but these myths are dangerous in their own right, because recycled water programs depend on public support. Have you fallen in love with any of these popular myths?
Myth 1: You could very well be drinking sewage.
Most people have no problem redistributing recycled water for irrigation and other non-potable uses, but are hesitant about direct consumption because the perception is that reused water is not far removed from wastewater. The reality is that wastewater contains only one tablespoon of dirt for every 53 gallons. It is then treated using reverse osmosis, which removes microorganisms and other particles, making it even cleaner than rainwater.
Myth 2: The treatment process creates unnatural, chemically altered Franken water.
The water filtration process is often mistakenly thought to involve chemical spraying, but reverse osmosis works on the same filtration principles found in nature. Nature filters water through sand, stone, and other porous materials that let water through, but not particles. Reverse osmosis is identical, but uses much smaller holes and higher water pressure.
Myth 3: Recycled water contains toxic levels of drugs and hormones.
Concerns about the presence of hormones and other chemicals arose from a study of sewage runoff in the UK which found that river fish were affected by chemicals in the water. But that’s not the whole story. The wastewater in question was nowhere near municipal water filtration levels.
Reverse osmosis removes almost 100 percent of these chemicals. Compare that to well water and that can contain lead and other naturally occurring contaminants.
Myth 4: Reverse osmosis removes beneficial minerals found naturally in water.
Reverse osmosis removes almost all mineral traces from water, but the core of this myth is that people receive vital nutrients through water, which the World Health Organization has declared patently false. Recent findings actually suggest that inorganic minerals found in untreated water can have a lifelong deleterious effect in the form of hardening of the arteries, kidney and gallstones, and many other diseases. It is estimated that the average person can ingest up to 300 pounds of rock over the course of 60 years, some of which is absorbed and accumulates.
So next time you hear a probably well-intentioned but misinformed person repeating these recycled water myths, do your part and set the record straight.
