National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Recycled Sewage: Coming to a Tap Near You?


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Sewage water is forced through special membranes that capture toxins, pollutants, household chemicals, and pharmaceuticals at Orange County, California's Groundwater Replenishment System facility. The facility produces enough drinking water for 500,000 people daily.

The use of treated wastewater is on the rise, even in the developed world, as droughts and competition drive up demand for fresh water.

Photograph by Mary Knox Merrill/Christian Science Monitor/Getty Images