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Bowl Games Not Just for Dogs Anymore

Posted Jan 25, 08 5:25 PM CST in US Arts & Living Science & Health 

(Newser) – As contamination, overconsumption, and drought sap Southern California's already limited supply of potable water, Orange County has just adopted an effective, if unpalatable, solution. Starting today, flushed toilet water will gush through a $490 million network of pipes and filters, return to the groundwater basin, then find its way home to moisten SoCal toothbrushes, Slate reports.

Not surprisingly, "toilet-to-tap" has droves of squeamish detractors. But the process is cheaper and more efficient than seawater desalination, for example, and produces fewer greenhouse gases and chemical byproducts. "If we don't learn to deal with drinking toilet water, we're going to be mighty thirsty," writes Eileen Zimmerman, calling the plan "a smart idea, one of the most reliable and affordable hedges against water shortages."
Source: Slate

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The Dike 4 Groundwater Recharge Facility is shown Monday, Dec. 17, 2007, in Coachella, Calif.. The facility is one of the major groundwater replenishment projects identified in the Water Management Plan....   (Associated Press)
Scott Kelly demonstrates a low-flow toilet at his architecture firm in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007. Kelly's company urges its customers to install the high-efficiency toilets, which use 20...   (Associated Press)
Almond grower Mark Borba looks over his orchard Friday, Oct. 19, 2007 in Huron, Calif., which makes use of a sophisticated drip system. Farmers like Borba will need a supplemental water supply for the...   (Associated Press)
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