The green revolution has changed people’s behaviors. Giving birth to technological innovations and public policy that help us use less and reuse more.
Paper recycling programs started out as an outlandish idea.
The paper was cheap and plentiful. Why make an effort? Now, truly resourceful thinkers have made paper recycling—and the buying and selling of recycled paper products—commonplace. Delivering economic and environmental benefits at a scale unimaginable 20 years ago.
So what about water? People tend to look at water in Canada as cheap and plentiful too. And just as we used to use paper once and throw it away, we have a bias towards using water once. But that’s starting to change.
Traditionally, facilities treat wastewater for disposal and then discharge it into bodies of water like rivers or oceans.
But utilizing reclaimed water – wastewater that has been treated for re-use in non-potable applications – has become common in the United States and around the world and is becoming more common in Canada.”
Reclaimed water is not suitable for human consumption even though it has been processed. The specific composition of reclaimed water varies according to the sources that generate it and the treatment processes used.
Despite this, making reclaimed water available for specific, regulated uses can significantly ease the burden on drinking water supplies. Further, it provides for many economic advantages.
As regulatory agencies and industries explore the use of reclaimed water in Canada, we can learn from the innovations in public policy, infrastructure design, and technology in place elsewhere.
Conservation Led to Innovation
In the southern United States, where drought and limited water supplies have forced a strong water conservation ethic, reclaimed water has dramatically reduced the draw on the potable water supply.
The City of Austin’s Water Utility in Texas began looking into reclaimed water as a water conservation measure. Now they use recycled water for street cleaning, irrigation, dust control, and construction.
“The City was and is experiencing a drought, as well as water theft from fire hydrants,” says Cole O. Newton, P.E., LEED AP, Reclaimed Water Project Manager, Austin Water.
“Currently, we are installing three permanent reclaimed bulk water filling stations on Austin Water’s reclaimed water system. We are expecting to see steady use of the systems.”
These reclaimed bulk water filling stations, manufactured in Alberta by Flowpoint, allows for secure access to bulk reclaimed water.
Bulk Water Stations are significantly straightforward to use, especially in comparison to a fire hydrant. Therefore, regular and transient water haulers are more than happy to use them.
The truck fill stations benefit the municipality too., as they allow automatic billing. Which many municipalities see as a simple Return on Investment on their initial infrastructure investment.
The City of Austin is keenly aware that as construction and density go up, so too will the need for water.
In addition to installing the reclaimed bulk water truckfill stations, they are actively educating the public. This allows new and potential users to learn about reclaimed water, and understand how to operate the stations.
“We expect to see enough use and demand to install an additional nine stations throughout the City,” says Newton.
Their ultimate goal is to divert demand for water from the potable water system to the reclaimed water system whenever possible.
Setting policy and implementing systems to ensure the safe use of reclaimed water is critical for public health. In turn, all communities benefit when these regulations are in place.
Across North America, jurisdictions use reclaimed water in refineries, parks, cooling systems, golf courses, mining operations, and even homes.
Some municipalities also experiment with groundwater-recharge programs that let natural processes further treat reclaimed water and replenish the water table.
Cue the purple revolution.
Across North America, utilities color reclaimed-water pipes purple. This system prevents crews from accidentally connecting potable dispensing points to reclaimed supplies, and it clearly signals to haulers and users that the water isn’t for human consumption.
Public policy in Canada is catching up, and regulations are being developed to clearly outline allowable uses of reclaimed water.
Commonly, regulatory agencies in the US, including the agencies in Austin, Texas, classify reclaimed water according to its degree of treatment and approve its use in applications based on its quality.
British Columbia has taken a similar position, making provisions for both indoor and outdoor use of reclaimed water based on water quality.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, industry uses reclaimed water—for example, the Edmonton Suncor refinery, which draws treated wastewater from the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant.
And while the province already uses reclaimed water for irrigation, Alberta Municipal Affairs has not yet approved it for indoor uses like toilet flushing. The department is now developing policies and safety guidelines to support that kind of use.
Clearly, a strong business and environmental case must be made for better use of our water supply.
Innovations in technology, including the secure bulk water dispensing stations used in Austin, are already available.
The more we take advantage of these innovations, the more we will understand the untapped potential of reclaimed water systems in our industry and our communities.
