Our water supply is far from infinite.

According to the UN, nearly 1.8 billion people are projected to live in areas with absolute water scarcity by 2025, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water-stressed conditions.

If water becomes scarce or unavailable for an extended period, would you drink recycled sewage water?

In his book Purified: How Recycled Sewage is Transforming our Water, Peter Annin, director of the Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation in Wisconsin, US, explores the socio-political complexities that surround the treatment and reuse of sewage for drinking water. Wastewater recycling is playing an increasingly significant role in addressing the challenges of water scarcity in the US. But, despite its proven technical feasibility, public perception (the “yuck factor”) is hindering wider adoption.

In Singapore, one brewery has used treated wastewater to make craft beer since 2018. This is a prime example of how innovative water management can reshape perceptions and demonstrate the feasibility of recycled water.

There are currently two approaches to recycle wastewater into drinking (or potable) water.

Indirect potable recycling (IPR) adds highly treated wastewater to ground water supplies, rivers or reservoirs. This offers longer-term environmental buffering and mixing of the water. In San Diego, the Pure Water recyling programme aims to provide half of the city’s water by 2035. In Austin, the........

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