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Tucson Official Says Effluent In Drinking Water Necessary
Arizona Capitol Reports Staff//January 14, 2005//[read_meter]
Tucson Official Says Effluent In Drinking Water Necessary
Arizona Capitol Reports Staff//January 14, 2005//[read_meter]
Effluent water will likely need to be added to Tucson’s drinking water supply to avoid shortages in the future, said Tucson Water Director David Modeer.
Effluent water — treated waste water — is currently used for recharge projects and other restricted uses, but Mr. Modeer said the city will have to consider adding it to the drinking water supply.
“Otherwise, we will run out of groundwater credits and won’t be able to pump any groundwater in 50 to 75 years,” he said.
Tucson Water produces about 68,000 acre-feet of effluent annually, he said. The effluent water is currently divided for distribution to the Tohono O’odham Nation, the county and the city.
No plans for use of effluent water in drinking water are in place.
Mr. Modeer said public outreach would be essential to persuade residents to accept the idea. “I think the key to that is educating the public on the exact methods that would be used,” he said.
Information from: Tucson Citizen, http://www.tucsoncitizen.com —
