Shifting the ‘waste’ out of wastewater: Solving urban water shortages through reuse
A TEDxUniversityofSaskatchewan talk from Kerry McPhedran (PhD), Environmental Engineering Professor
Where does the water go when we wash our dishes, take a shower, or flush our toilets? This ‘wastewater’ goes down your drain, into big pipes underground, and finally gets treated in municipal wastewater plants before being released back into our rivers and lakes. But there is a better use for this ‘liquid gold’. The reuse of municipal wastewater, and stormwater from rain and snow, is gaining traction worldwide. However, a significant barrier to adopting widespread reuse is the societal stigma associated with the idea of 'toilet to tap' and the ‘ick’ factor. But if it is good enough for astronauts, why not the rest of us too? As technologies are being developed and refined, my talk will show you how we can strive to remove the ‘waste’ from our wastewater!