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Kennedy

Toilet-to-Tap Water

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I would like to hear more about distribution? They are implying that they are going to install a dual system? The cost's for grey Water distribution systems, dual pipes in the ground are generally astronomical...this deserves careful scrutiny....
C

[:/]

But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

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kallend


Astronauts have been drinking it for decades.



Kallend is correct. Almost drop of water on the ISS is recycled and purified. Whether it is pee. Or even sweat or exhalation, it's collected and purified. I think they are at about 95% efficiency.

And back when was in the Army, I was amazed at the shit that went into a ROWPU could come out so nice.


My wife is hotter than your wife.

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>I'm not worried about where the H20 molecules have been. I'm worried about the shit
>(literally and pathagen) that is swimming along next to the molecules. Water that
>evaporates from the ocean and condenses in the mountains is a bit different than
>filtered/treated toilet water, in terms of its friends.

Right. And that water that came from that clear, cold mountain stream has bird shit, fish shit and deer shit in it. Also dead bugs. The water that comes from the recycling plant doesn't; it's generally been filtered to such a degree that even the basic molecules that make up the shit can't make it through.

We have an evolved aversion to eating/drinking anything close to our wastes (for obvious reasons.) But it sometimes results in some illogical decisions on resource allocation.

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I'd like to think people can be educated to move beyond gut-feelings, but I just met another person today who believes in homeopathy. Makes it hard to hold on to hope, no matter how sound the science is.
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Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
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billvon

>I'm not worried about where the H20 molecules have been. I'm worried about the shit
>(literally and pathagen) that is swimming along next to the molecules. Water that
>evaporates from the ocean and condenses in the mountains is a bit different than
>filtered/treated toilet water, in terms of its friends.

Right. And that water that came from that clear, cold mountain stream has bird shit, fish shit and deer shit in it. Also dead bugs. The water that comes from the recycling plant doesn't; it's generally been filtered to such a degree that even the basic molecules that make up the shit can't make it through.



"generally"

The river water gets the same treatments. The refiltered water you speak of got that same bird/fish/deer shit, then add human shit in a dense urban environment. That's where "generally" isn't really comforting. Or good tasting - LA water is so processed that it's rather undrinkable to me now. I got spoiled on the water SF steals from Hetch Hetchy.

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billvon

Right. And that water that came from that clear, cold mountain stream has bird shit, fish shit and deer shit in it. Also dead bugs. The water that comes from the recycling plant doesn't; it's generally been filtered to such a degree that even the basic molecules that make up the shit can't make it through.



and, absolutely "pure" water is really kind of bad for us. If it's missing the typical minerals, etc in it, then it leeches them from our bodies.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

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kallend

***

Kallend is correct.



I feel a new sig coming on.

Well, it depends on what you mean by "astronauts" and "have been drinking it for decades."

The "capsule series" spacecraft, skylab, and the space shuttle either brought water with them, or used the byproduct water from the fuel cells. It wasn't until the ISS that water recycling has really been a part of the US space program, and it has not been so "for decades." There were one or two experiements flown on the shuttle in the 90s, if I rememeber correctly, but I think they were of limited success.

Cosmonauts have been using recycled water condensed from the ambient atmosphere as far back as the Salyut missions of the 70s, but that's not really toilet water.

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>The river water gets the same treatments.

Definitely not. Look at your water reports, specifically the "total coliform bacteria" column. (That's shit bacteria, present in the feces of warm-blooded animals.) In general you will see a very small number, hopefully below the safety limits set by your state. The smallness of that number is due to the large dilution that happens in the water supply, not due to any micron-level filtration in the water supply.

Reclamation system designers are extremely paranoid about coliform bacteria in sewage, so the filters ARE micron-sized to stop all the bacteria.

> I got spoiled on the water SF steals from Hetch Hetchy.

Ah. SF water ranges from 0 to 2.7% coliform bacteria per the 2012 report.

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