The fix for parched western states: Recycled toilet water (Grist)

Wastewater can be recycled and treated to exceptionally clean levels. So clean, in fact, that we actually have to add minerals back in. So if treatment isn’t this issue, why aren’t we re-using more of it?

“Wastewater recycling can happen at a much smaller scale, too. A company called Epic Cleantec, based in San Francisco, makes a miniature treatment facility that fits inside high-rises. It pumps recycled water back into the units for non-potable use like filling toilets. While it takes many years to build a large treatment facility, these smaller systems come online in a matter of months and can reuse up to 95 percent of a building’s water.”

Read more from Matt Simon at the Grist.