A TIME FOR CHANGE

Traditionally we have tried to keep our drinking water supply and wastewater separate — as far apart as possible — both physically and mentally. As a consequence, we think about the urban water ‘cycle’ as a straight line from dam to disposal. There are problems at both ends of the pipeline — a shortage at one end and pollution and waste at the other.

The separation is an illusion. In most parts of the western world water has been recycled for many decades when a town upstream discharges its effluent to become the water supply for the next town downstream.

Increasing population and climate change have put pressure on our water supplies and we are facing shortages. We need to change the way we think about urban water management, acknowledge that recycling is already happening and do it more and better.

New technology allows us to reclaim water so that it can be recycled. We can no longer afford to use water once and throw it away.