Water Recycling in California
A wastewater treatment plant in Northern California is offering free recycled sewer water to homeowners impacted by the region’s worsening drought conditions. Although recycled water was previously provided for industrial purposes, this is the first time that the plant is providing it directly to residents. More than 10,000 gallons were distributed during the first two weeks of the “innovative” and experimental plan.
In a new blog post, RFF’s Yusuke Kuwayama and Hannah Kamen of the University of Rochester explain that the “yuck factor” often associated with wastewater reuse may not be entirely justified. They note that Florida, a national leader in water reuse (along with California), “currently has no direct potable reuse systems and allocated only 14 percent of its total reused water to indirect potable use in 2013. . . . In fact, most recycled water goes to non-potable uses such as residential greywater, industrial cooling, and irrigation of crops, golf courses, and public access areas.”
Climate Change Risks
A recent Washington Post editorial argued that while scientists are still studying how and where climate change impacts will occur in the future, these uncertainties are “not excuses for doing nothing, or too little, to reduce carbon emissions.” The op-ed notes research results by the Risky Business initiative—which quantified threats such as increases in sea level, storm surges, and energy demand—as an example of data that “should—but probably won’t—snap Congress into action.”
At a recent RFF event, A Discussion of the Independent Risk Assessment for Risky Business: The Economic Risks of Climate Change, members of the Risky Business research team and other experts discussed the methods, data, and significance of the findings for decisionmakers seeking to mitigate future climate change impacts. Video of the event is now available.
