Be Thankful for Clean Water on Thanksgiving

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 1 in 8 people do not have access to safe water. That’s around 884 million people. Though the water systems in the United States aren’t perfect, we have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. And clean water should be near the top of our list.

As you’ll see, clean water in the United States isn’t a result of luck or circumstance. As an industrialized country, the United States must treat and dispose of huge quantities of wastewater. Thanks to advanced wastewater treatment technologies and wastewater treatment plants across the country, our industrial might does not pose a risk to our drinkable water.

Wastewater Treatment, Recycling and Reuse

On average, Americans use around 400 liters of water every single day. That includes washing, drinking and cooking. Compare that to the average 10 liters of water a person in the developing world uses – and much of that water is unsafe to drink.

On the water conservation front, wastewater treatment plants like AWWT are playing a key role. Wastewater treatment technology and water reuse initiatives are gaining steam. Florida, Colorado, Texas, and California, have been especially proactive, as we discussed in a previous blog. These four states have 480 combined wastewater reuse projects in the works that by 2030 and will provide a total of 6.7 million cubic meters per day of reuse capacity.

Most recycled wastewater is not used for drinking, but instead used to power industry. One notable wastewater treatment plant in Illinois has planted a large garden on their property and donated the produce to a local food pantry. This fall, the facility harvested a whopping 1,400 pounds of vegetables. To date, they have donated over 5,000 pounds of vegetables, saving the pantry an estimated $7,500.

Furthermore, new wastewater treatment technologies are making it possible to extract fuel from wastewater – a two-birds-with-one-stone solution that reuses two strained natural resources.

Clean Water Challenges Ahead

Despite the promising wastewater treatment technologies, wastewater treatment plants, and community partnerships making wastewater recycling and reuse a reality, water scarcity remains a real threat across the globe. Based on our current water usage, the UN predicts that we will use 40% more water in just 20 years.

That means that there’s much work to be done – everything from wastewater recycling to conservation and reuse. As a green-driven company, AWWT will continue to work with environmental services companies and municipalities in Long Island and across New York to treat and dispose of wastewater in a responsible, environmentally friendly way.