Water Waste Myths

On today’s show we are talking about water sustainability. This is one of those topics that often gets misunderstood. In particular, it’s a source of a lot of misinformation. 

We’re developing a project in Colorado Springs and at the city council meeting, several members of the public stood up in opposition to the project and were using the argument that somehow our project would be depriving people downstream of our project from water in the lower Arkansas River. 

Cities like Colorado Springs which lives in a fairly arid location relies on water that comes from the rocky mountains. Some of the water comes from the Colorado River, and some from the Arkansas River as well as various other assets. In some cases, the city has engaged in water exchanges. These are purchases of water assets in one location and then trading those assets for use upstream. 

In the city council meeting, one citizen after another spoke in opposition to the project using water as the argument. 

As someone who is developing the project, it was painful to listen to people who are so misinformed and are clearly passionate about what they believe. 

After the council meeting was over, I spoke with one of the citizens who had several minutes at the microphone in front of council. 

I asked him if he knew about the various water utilities that exist in the area. He said that he did not. I asked him if he knew where Shriever Air Force Base got their water. He said, no. 

I asked him if he knew what waste water recovery was all about. He said no. 

This is where water beliefs are encumbered with the history of abuse of fresh water. Back in the day when there was seemingly endless water, there was no thought to conservation of a scarce resource. It only became an issue when the shortages appeared. 

On today’s show we’re going to talk about the cost of creating pure drinking water out of waste water. It sounds gross, and it sounds like it should not work. But the same technology that is used to generate drinking water from ocean salt water can be used in a waste water treatment plant.