Where's your water coming from? You may not want to know If you sell water filters in Southern California, your ship just came in. Ten years ago, Los Angeles officials shot down a plan to use cleansed sewage to increase water supplies. But things change. A few weeks ago, LA Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa announced a series of initiatives designed to address the city's water shortage crisis. Mayor Villaraigosa opposed the sewage water plan in the 90s, but now he's promoting it as part of the water-saving package. This plan is also being considered in San Diego and South Florida. According to a New York Times report, recent advances in technology can make sewage water "purer than tap water." That's a mighty tall claim. The report describes the process as "intense filtering and chemical treatment." Intense filtering - that's certainly what I want to hear if I live in LA (although I'd like to see the word "intense" in big red bold capital letters, underlined, and followed by at least a couple of exclamation points). But then after the filtering comes "intense…chemical treatment." And while that might sound reassuring to some, it means you're trading traces of sewage for higher levels of chemicals. If I were a Los Angelino, I'd be looking for a home filtration system that's as big as a two-car garage. Source:
"Los Angeles Eyes Sewage as a Source of Water" Randal C. Archibold, New York Times, 5/16/08, nytimes.com | 
