Silverdale Water
District
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Using purified wastewater for irrigation in the Silverdale area would have numerous benefits, according to Morgan Johnson and other officials at the Silverdale Water District
First, it would decrease the need to replace perfectly good water pipe to increase capacity as the district grows. It would preserve, and possibly increase, groundwater supplies for drinking uses.
Water reclamation, as it’s called, also could increase stream flows in nearby Chico and Barker creeks during critical periods, improve selected wetlands and reduce the groundwater pumping needed for Island Lake.
Check out my story in yesterday’s Kitsap Sun.
By the way, King 5 TV’s Eric Wilkinson picked up the piece and visited Kitsap County, where he came out with a light-hearted story about “recycling toilet water.”
People interviewed at local parks didn’t seem to like the idea of watering the grass with toilet water. It may take time and some public education to get people to embrace the concept.
In the mid 1980’s I spent several years working in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia). In our compound were lush green lawns and numerous beautiful water fountains, which struck me odd as the surrounding landscape was as I had always imagined a desert to be… Brown and dry. I soon learned that the lawns were nourished (not sure that is a good word to use here) by the recycled water of the compounds sewer system.
Water reclamation or recycle may be new to us here in the United States but it is nothing new to most of the world. We need to assure our safety, but it is important that we look into these technologies and make use of them. I applaud the Silverdale Water District for this effort and wish them success.
Can’t remember who said it (maybe Ben Franklin):
“We’ll know the true value of that water when the well runs dry”
I remember reclaimed wastewater being used to water the public golf course in Corpus Christi when I was a youngster growing up there. The golf course was beautiful and lush, while the land around it was arid. We just returned from a trip that included the Texas panhandle. The aquafer there is getting close to being used up. When it is, it will drastically change a way of life for a lot of people. Only because water is in abundance do we use it wastefully. Why wait until our aquafers are low to begin using reclaimed wastewater?
Using ‘gray’ water for lawns, gardens, washing clothes – everything but drinking has been used by the water conservatives on Marrowstone Island.
Many capture rainwater off roofs to store until needed…they’ve been innovative due to need…
Silverdale Water District…thank you for looking ahead..
Sharon O’Hara
How about the re-cycle of storm water rather than toilet water that Eric Wilkinson was thinking of.