Flushing the 'ick' factor

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} ul.share-list li:nth-child(3) img { width: 20px; height: 16px; padding:15px 0 0 14px; } /* ================================= */ /* MEDIA EMBEDS */ /* ================================= */ .video.entry-element-container, .audio.entry-element-container { max-width: 42.5rem; } /* ================================= */ /* RELATED STORIES - UNIQUE TO NEWS */ /* ================================= */ .entry-element-container.related-stories { max-width: none; } figure.related-stories-item { height: auto; } figure.related-stories-item { border: none; } .related-stories > .entry-element { display: block; position: relative; width: calc(100% - 40px); max-width: 1110px; height: auto; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; } .storyContainer { margin: 0 0 2.5rem 0; } .related-stories-header { font-size: 30px; line-height: 45px; } .entry-element ul.storyGrid-row { list-style: none; display: flex; flex-flow: row wrap; justify-content: flex-start; /* I wanted to use grid-gap: 3% but it won't work in old Safari */ margin-left:0;} .imageContainer { position: relative; 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text-decoration: underline; } @media (min-width: 1030px) { .related-links-item:before { margin-left: -2rem; } .entry-element ul.storyGrid-row li:nth-child(n+2):nth-child(-n+3){ margin-left: 20px; } .entry-element ul.storyGrid-row li:nth-child(n+5):nth-child(-n+6){ margin-left: 20px; } li.storyGrid-item { height: 270px; flex-basis: 29%; } } @media (max-width: 1029px) { .image-collage .media-caption { width: calc(100% - 2rem); margin: 0 auto; } .entry-element ul.storyGrid-row li:nth-child(n+2):nth-child(-n+3){ margin-left: 20px; } .entry-element ul.storyGrid-row li:nth-child(n+5):nth-child(-n+6){ margin-left: 20px; } li.storyGrid-item { height: 240px; flex-basis: 29%; } figure figcaption.related-stories-text { line-height: 18px; } .related-stories-title { font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; } } /* ================================= */ /* MEDIA QUERIES */ /* ================================= */ @media only screen and (max-width: 800px) { .inline-image .entry-element { flex-wrap: wrap; } .inline-image .entry-element .inline-image-text { max-width: 100%; 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left: calc(50% + 1rem); padding: 0; } figure.related-stories-item > .imageContainer > img.link-thumbnail { width: 50%; } figure figcaption.related-stories-text { line-height: 20px; position: absolute; top: 0; left: calc(50%); width: 50%; height: 10%; margin: 9% 0 0 0; padding: 0 0 0 1rem; } .related-stories-title { font-weight: 700; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { .hero-image-title.overlay_shading .hero-image-title-container.with-button { padding-bottom: 50px; } } @media (max-width: 700px) { .code-block { width: calc(100% - 2rem); } .large.caption.entry-element-container .media-caption.entry-element { max-width: calc(100% - 2rem); } .small .entry-element .entry-image .media-caption, .entry-element-container.blockquote { max-width: calc(100% - 2rem); } .related-stories > .entry-element { width: calc(100% - 2rem); } .related-links .entry-element { width: calc(100% - 2rem); } .related-stories > .entry-element > h2 { margin: 0 1rem 0 0; } .entry-element > ul.storyGrid-row { margin-left: 0; } } @media (min-width: 560px) { .hero-image-title.overlayed > .hero-image-title-container > centre.heading-subtitle { padding-bottom: 1; } } @media (max-width: 560px) { .overlay_clear .title-block { width: calc(100% - 2rem); } .hero-image-title.below h1#maincontent.centre { max-width: none; } figure figcaption.related-stories-text { top: 0; left: calc(30%); width: 70%; } li.storyGrid-item { height: 38vw; flex-basis: 100%; padding-top: 23px; border-top: 1px solid #DEDEDE; } .imageContainer { float: left; } span.story-department { position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 100%; width: 100vw; padding: 0; } figure.related-stories-item > .imageContainer > img.link-thumbnail { float: none; object-fit: cover; width: 28vw; height: 28vw; margin-right: 1rem; } .related-stories-title { font-weight: 700; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; line-height: 20px; } } @media screen and (max-width: 550px) { .c-label { display: none; } select.c-field { width: 100%; } .blockquote-content p { font-size: 1.5rem; } .hero-image-title .title-block h1, .overlay_clear.hero-image-title .title-block h1 { padding-top: 1rem; color: #333333; width: 100%; } .hero-image-title.above>.hero-image-title-container>.title-block>div.title-button, .hero-image-title.overlay_shading>.hero-image-title-container>.title-block>div.title-button, .hero-image-title.overlayed.centre>.hero-image-title-container>.title-block>div.title-button { margin: 0 auto 1rem auto; } .hero-image-title.overlayed .heading-subtitle { padding-top:1rem; color: rgba(51, 51, 51, .85); } .entry-element-container.entry-header { margin: 0 0 1rem 0; } .hero-image-title.overlay_shading .hero-image-title-container.with-button, .hero-image-title.overlay_clear .hero-image-title-container.with-button { padding-bottom: 0; } figcaption.overlay_clear.top, figcaption.overlay_shading.top { display:inline-block; width: 100%; height: auto; margin: .5rem auto 1rem 1rem; font-size: 0.85rem; font-style: italic; font-weight: 400; line-height: 130%; color: #707070; 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top: 0px; left: 100%; width: 100vw; padding: 0; } figure img { float: none; object-fit: cover; /* width: 28vw; height: 28vw;*/ margin-right: 1rem; } figure img.hero-image-media { width: 100%; height: auto; } figure figcaption.related-stories-text { line-height: 18px; } .related-stories-title { font-weight: 700; font-size: 14px; text-align: center; line-height: 18px; } } </style> <style type="text/css"></style> </head> <body > <script type="text/javascript" src="/g/stats/js/cbc-stats-top.js"></script> <div class="content-holder"> <header class="ee-header" id="longform_globalnav"> <a href="#maincontent" id="skip-navigation">Skip to main content</a> <div class="ee-row"> <button id="hamButton" aria-expanded="false"> <svg viewBox="0 0 30 15" width="30" height="30" class="hamIcon closed" id="ham" role="presentation" focusable="false"> <line x1="1" y1="2" x2="18" y2="2" class="topBar" stroke="white" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round"></line> <line x1="1" y1="8" x2="18" y2="8" class="midBar" stroke="white" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round"></line> <line x1="18" y1="14" x2="1" y2="14" class="lowBar" stroke="white" stroke-width="1.8" stroke-linecap="round"></line>  <line x1="1" y1="23" x2="18" y2="23" class="underBar" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round"></line> <line x1="0" y1="23" x2="14" y2="23" class="shortBar" stroke="red" stroke-width="2"></line> </svg> <span class="sr-only">menu</span> </button> <div class="deptLogo news"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news" tabindex="0"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/common/news.png" alt="CBC News" data-path="/newsinteractives/content/common/news.png"></a></div> <nav role="navigation" class="closed" id="topNav"></nav> </div> </header> <main role="main" id="maincontent" data-cb-scroll-element="1"> <div class="entry-element-container hero-image below " data-layout-type="below" data-image-layout> <div class="hero-image-title"> <div class="hero-image-title-container with-button"> <div class="title-block"> <div class="title-button"><button onclick="LFP.UTIL.gotoTitleButton('https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary')" class="t-button">Calgary</button></div> <h1 class="centre " tabindex="-1">Flushing the 'ick' factor</h1> </div> <span class="heading-subtitle centre "><p>Sewage as drinking water? It's one secret weapon as North America seeks solutions to a water crisis</p></span> </div> </div> <figure class="hero-figure" data-hide-hero="" data-index="0" data-has-video="false"> <img class="hero-image-media " data-has-video="false" data-hero-hide="" alt="" src="/newsinteractives/content/images/_hero_460/Tasting_GWRS_water_%281%29_%283%29.jpg" sizes="(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px,(min-width: 1181px) 1920px" srcset="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_460/Tasting_GWRS_water_%281%29_%283%29.jpg 460w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_620/Tasting_GWRS_water_%281%29_%283%29.jpg 620w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_780/Tasting_GWRS_water_%281%29_%283%29.jpg 780w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1180/Tasting_GWRS_water_%281%29_%283%29.jpg 1180w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1920/Tasting_GWRS_water_%281%29_%283%29.jpg 1920w" data-src="/newsinteractives/content/images/Tasting_GWRS_water_%281%29_%283%29.jpg"/> </figure> <span class="media-caption"><span class="media-caption-credit">Orange County Water District</span></span> </div> <div class="entry-element-container entry-header"> <div class="entry-element"> <span class="entry-byline primary">Joel Dryden and Carla Turner</span> <span class="entry-byline secondary">Video by Monty Kruger</span> <span class="entry-date">Jul. 18, 2024</span> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">They’re three words that make any water engineer shudder.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“Toilet to tap.” </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">It’s the alliteration credited with sinking major water-recycling projects. Headline writers around North America just can't seem to resist using the phrase when describing projects that convert wastewater into clean, drinkable water.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Despite the successful adoption of such projects in places like drought-prone California, water reuse hasn’t yet entered the conversation in the same way north of the border.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">But in places like semi-arid Alberta, still weighing its next moves as </span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-edmonton-cmas-july-2023-population-estimates-2024-data-release-1.7210191"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>surging populations</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> put new pressures on a taxed water supply, some expect embracing more reuse is the next critical step to take.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“We have to make inroads on water reuse,” said Tricia Stadnyk, a professor and Canada Research Chair in hydrologic modelling with the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering.</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container video "><div class="entry-element"> <iframe src="https://www.cbc.ca/i/phoenix/player/syndicate/?mediaId=9.6450961" width="100%" height="auto" style='aspect-ratio: 16/9' frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="media-caption">As more cities across North America face extended drought situations, some are buying into a water solution that's turning heads and stomachs: treating wastewater. Some cities in California are even turning wastewater into drinking water. Alberta isn't quite there yet, but a few major projects are treating wastewater for non-potable uses.</div> </div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">For years, many in Alberta have been pushing for water reuse projects to be adopted. And they’re well aware of the type of framing that phrases like “toilet to tap” tend to draw out in the media.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“Water Flowing From Toilet to Tap may be Hard to Swallow," </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/12/science/recycled-drinking-water-getting-past-the-yuck-factor.html"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>reads one New York Times headline</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> from 2015.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">The origin of those three words can be traced back to the early 1990s. At that point in time, one opponent of a plan to top up the underground water supply with highly treated sewage water was quoted in an </span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-12-ga-1066-story.html"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>L.A.Times story</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> from 1993, referring to it as the “toilet-to-tap” folly.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“We don’t want the water changed … don’t want the purity altered," the individual said.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">The phrase stuck in the heads of readers who became queasy at the thought of their glass of drinking water originating in the lavatory. Many </span><a href="https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/water/pdf/purewater/090128toilettap.pdf"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>credit</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> it with killing a potable reuse project in San Diego in the late 1990s. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“We kind of learned from some of their mistakes,” said Mehul Patel, the executive director of operations at the Orange County Water District. </span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container image fullwidth "><div class="entry-element"><figure class="entry-image with-caption"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/GWRS_water_%281%29.jpg" alt="" srcSet="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/GWRS_water_%281%29.jpg 300w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_460/GWRS_water_%281%29.jpg 460w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_620/GWRS_water_%281%29.jpg 620w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_780/GWRS_water_%281%29.jpg 780w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1180/GWRS_water_%281%29.jpg 1180w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1920/GWRS_water_%281%29.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px,(min-width: 1181px) 1920px"><figcaption class="media-caption">The photo was taken after water has undergone microfiltration, reverse osmosis and UV light with hydrogen peroxide. The Orange County Water District has a sink at the end of its tour where visitors can see and taste the purified water. (Orange County Water District)</figcaption></figure></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">It showed the power of language and narrative: though San Diego had done pilot testing and demonstrated the technology would work, they moved too fast into the design and construction phase, neglecting to undertake sufficient outreach with the community. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Today, 40 per cent of Orange County’s drinking water comes from treated sewer water. Though it took new technology to allow for that to happen, Patel said breaking through the psychological barrier — the “ick” factor — was just as crucial.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">And it's never easy. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Even Orange County, largely seen as a shining star on the water reuse landscape, has had its work cut out for it. The “ick” factor is just difficult to fight against, </span><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/ick-factor-is-high-hurdle-for-recycled-drinking-water/"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>as research has shown</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“I feel about drinking toilet water the way a celebrity who agrees to do Dancing with the Stars feels," comedian James Corden joked on a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn0Bt_7XSJs"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>2015 episode</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> of <i>The Late Late Show</i>, referencing Orange County's plans.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“Do you know what I mean? No, I do. I don't want to do it, I'm not proud of it, but I guess I have no other options.”</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container video "><div class="entry-element youtube-embed"> <figure class="media-container"> <div class="media-content"> <iframe title="youtube-player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pn0Bt_7XSJs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> <span class="video-loading-icon"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/common/video-icon.svg" alt=""></span> </figure> </div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">It's why the outreach is so important, in Patel's view. It's all about emphasizing that the technology is effective, he says. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“It’s like, why do we need to go to this alternate source of water? Is the technology safe?" Patel said.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">Of course, water reuse already happened before Orange County adopted this process. Normally, wastewater ends up in rivers and lakes and oceans, and then gets treated into drinking water. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">What Orange County sought to do, in essence, was</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> speed up the process, while following a set of regulatory requirements for water quality.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“It's what all these reuse projects are trying to do. And I think the technology and the regulations finally got to a place where there's acceptance of it,” Patel said.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">Today, Orange County's</span><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#404040;"> Groundwater Replenishment System can produce daily up to 490 million litres of water that meets or exceeds state and federal drinking water standards, enough water to meet the needs of one million people.</span></p></div></div> <style type="text/css"> #inline-video_1 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/CGYWATERTREATMENT.png') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { #inline-video_1 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/vlcsnap-2024-07-15-11h40m43s148.png') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } } </style> <div class="entry-element-container inlineVideo large"> <div class="entry-element"> <figure class="inline-video-figure"> <video autoplay muted playsinline loop id="inline-video_1" class="inline-video" data-webm="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/Sequence_05.mp4" data-mp4="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/Sequence_01_10.mp4" data-webm-square="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/graphic1to1.mp4" data-mp4-square="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/graphic1to1.mp4" data-section="test">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> <div class="hero-inline-video-controls"><button class="button-inline-video button-inline-video-fill" aria-pressed="false" role="switch"> <i class="pause"></i> Pause</button></div> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">Orange County is not alone in this. Significant water reuse projects have been scaling up across North America in recent years, particularly in semi-arid regions. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Los Angeles </span><a href="https://www.ladwpnews.com/mayor-garecetti-los-angeles-will-recycle-100-of-citys-wastewater-by-2035/"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>has pledged to recycle</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> 100 per cent of its sewage by 2035. Elsewhere in the U.S., states like Colorado have also </span><a href="https://www.watereducationcolorado.org/fresh-water-news/colorado-okays-drinking-treated-wastewater-now-it-has-to-convince-the-public-its-a-good-idea/#/"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>OK’d the idea</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> of drinking treated wastewater.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“It’s really raging in the United States right now, especially the Sun Belt,” said Peter Annin, author of <i>Purified: How Recycled Sewage Is Transforming Our Water</i>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Annin has travelled to all of the major water recycling destinations in southern California, but also other hot spots, including communities in Texas such as El Paso, Wichita Falls and Big Spring. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">These were areas that managed to get by, despite scarce water supplies, with old-fashioned methods, Annin said. They would move water from one watershed to another, or they would undertake extensive conservation.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">But what Annin's travels have revealed is that certain areas of the world dealing with water scarcity for extended periods of time tend to tap out on traditional solutions. They must consider alternatives. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“On the coast, you have two options, which is desalination or water recycling," he said. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“But in interior areas, like the Alberta area, you really then only have one option left … sewage is actually becoming the secret weapon in the climate-driven water crisis around the world.”</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container video "><div class="entry-element"> <iframe src="https://www.cbc.ca/i/phoenix/player/syndicate/?mediaId=9.6448364" width="100%" height="auto" style='aspect-ratio: 16/9' frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></div> <div class="entry-element-container heading "> <div class="entry-element"> <h2 class="">A break in thinking</h2> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">It's not often that water main breaks make national news, but that's what happened in Calgary in June. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">It led to tough water restrictions and water conservation measures for weeks. Officials are still in the process of slowly lifting restrictions.</span></p></div></div> <style type="text/css"> #inline-video_2 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/drone%2CVideo_Mixdown%2C1.jpg') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { #inline-video_2 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/vlcsnap-2024-07-12-15h19m20s187.png') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } } </style> <div class="entry-element-container inlineVideo large"> <div class="entry-element"> <figure class="inline-video-figure"> <video autoplay muted playsinline loop id="inline-video_2" class="inline-video" data-webm="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/onetoone16by9.mp4" data-mp4="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/waterreusetry1.mp4" data-webm-square="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/waterbreakonetoone.mp4" data-mp4-square="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/1to1.mp4" data-section="test">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> <div class="hero-inline-video-controls"><button class="button-inline-video button-inline-video-fill" aria-pressed="false" role="switch"> <i class="pause"></i> Pause</button></div> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">But in reality, water has been on the minds of Albertans for a while now, as the province's south has grappled with the implications of what a multi-year drought could bring. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">Water is strictly controlled in Alberta's south, and it's been a concern for years that the region could </span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/water-basins-rebecca-schulz-pincher-creek-tricia-stadnyk-1.7157075"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0a0102;"><u>outpace its water supply</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">A </span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/water-calgary-cochrane-school-of-public-policy-1.7232545"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0a0102;"><u>recent report</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;"> from </span><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#222222;">the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy stated that access to highly coveted water in southern Alberta could lead to tension between Calgary and its neighbours as populations grow.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">In addition to the challenges that come with </span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-edmonton-cmas-july-2023-population-estimates-2024-data-release-1.7210191"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0a0102;"><u>surging populations</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">, southern Alberta </span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/the-prairies-are-heading-into-another-drought-here-s-why-we-re-more-vulnerable-this-time-around-1.7121596"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0a0102;"><u>could also be marked</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;"> by more severe and more frequent droughts in the years to come. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">And Alberta's water conservation and management system needs major reform and could result in future water shortages, </span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-s-water-conservation-and-management-system-needs-major-fixing-auditor-finds-1.7260114"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0a0102;"><u>according to a recent report</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;"> from Alberta's auditor general.</span></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cochrane-girl-guides-calgary-water-drought-1.7231363" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>WHEN IN DROUGHT</strong>: How a multimillion-dollar deal with the Girl Guides solved an Alberta town's water issues</a></li><li><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/pincher-creek-david-desabrais-cowley-when-in-drought-1.7170621" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>WHEN IN DROUGHT</strong>: ‘A race against time’: Alberta community chasing solutions after months of hauling water</a></li></ul></div></div> <style type="text/css"> #inline-video_3 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } </style> <div class="entry-element-container inlineVideo "> <div class="entry-element"> <figure class="inline-video-figure"> <video autoplay muted playsinline loop id="inline-video_3" class="inline-video" data-webm="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/calgaryviz.mp4" data-mp4="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/calgaryviz.mp4" data-webm-square="" data-mp4-square="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/calgaryviz1to1.mp4" data-section="test">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> <div class="hero-inline-video-controls"><button class="button-inline-video button-inline-video-fill" aria-pressed="false" role="switch"> <i class="pause"></i> Pause</button></div> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“[Calgary's water crisis], on the backs of the drought, has highlighted our vulnerability to water supply,” said </span><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#222222;">Stadnyk, the hydrologic modelling expert.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">In this particular crisis with a feeder main break, supply wasn't the issue </span><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#202124;">— distribution was. That puts a spotlight on provincial infrastructure, Stadnyk noted.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#202124;">“As soon as we're talking about digging up the infrastructure, then that presents a golden opportunity to consider parallel systems, or greywater systems,” she said. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#202124;">“We could add a second level of pipe that goes to a different level of treatment, and/or separates waste streams, to allow this to move forward.”</span></p><p><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#222222;">Besides entering the public discussion, reuse is the “absolute most critical next step” in the battle against water scarcity in Alberta, Stadnyk said, noting policy and legislation stand in the way.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#222222;">“If we can clear those barriers, what this would do is allow us to have more security in our water supply,” she said. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#222222;">“If we were reusing, then we know that the amount of water that we would need in every single household would go down. There wouldn't be the same amount of pressure on the water supply, or water distribution systems.”</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container image "><div class="entry-element"><figure class="entry-image with-caption"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Untitled_design_%2817%29.png" alt="A woman stands in front of a river, wearing a white sweater." srcSet="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Untitled_design_%2817%29.png 300w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_460/Untitled_design_%2817%29.png 460w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_620/Untitled_design_%2817%29.png 620w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_780/Untitled_design_%2817%29.png 780w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1180/Untitled_design_%2817%29.png 1180w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1920/Untitled_design_%2817%29.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px,(min-width: 1181px) 1920px"><figcaption class="media-caption">Tricia Stadnyk, a professor and Canada Research Chair in hydrologic modelling with the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering, says there's been a long-standing push to bring water reuse systems into Alberta. However, policy has yet to allow it on comparable levels to other jurisdictions. (Monty Kruger/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">And there's plenty more that Alberta could be doing when it comes to introducing reuse projects. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">It's a conversation that has been taking place in the province for decades, but it's been slow to be adopted compared to other jurisdictions, according to Kim Sturgess, CEO of WaterSmart, an advisory services business specializing in water.  </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">The </span><a href="https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/6a57d29c-d437-4dd9-94e3-d96bedc01bb4/resource/d533afcb-2933-43da-9199-eea030148c00/download/health-public-health-guidelines-water-reuse-stormwater-use-2021.pdf"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>criteria</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"> that need to be met for one-off pilot projects are not clear, which could potentially reduce the uptake of reuse projects in the province, Sturgess said.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“But there are reuse projects, pilot projects, out there,” she said.</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container heading "> <div class="entry-element"> <h2 class="">Reuse projects materialize in Alberta</h2> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Treated wastewater for drinking water in Alberta? </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Not so fast, says a spokesperson in Alberta's environment ministry. Drinking water in the province comes from Alberta's rivers, lakes, streams or high-quality groundwater, and there are no plans to change that.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Water reuse is still a relatively new addition to Alberta's water management approach, says Ryan Fournier. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">He notes not all uses of water require potable water, and making use of previously underutilized water sources can provide environmental and economic benefits, in particular in southern Alberta, where lower natural flows are fairly common.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“We have committed to exploring all options to help maximize Alberta’s water supply in the coming years and will keep Albertans updated as this work unfolds,” Fournier wrote in an email.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">But there are already some notable water reuse projects that exist in the province, largely within industrial sectors.</span></p></div></div> <style type="text/css"> #inline-video_4 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } </style> <div class="entry-element-container inlineVideo fullwidth"> <div class="entry-element"> <figure class="inline-video-figure"> <video autoplay muted playsinline loop id="inline-video_4" class="inline-video" data-webm="" data-mp4="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/crossfielddronemp4.mp4" data-webm-square="" data-mp4-square="" data-section="test">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> <div class="hero-inline-video-controls"><button class="button-inline-video button-inline-video-fill" aria-pressed="false" role="switch"> <i class="pause"></i> Pause</button></div> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p>The Town of Crossfield, Alta., north of Calgary, gets its water from the Anthony Henday Water Treatment Plant, owned and operated by the Mountain View Regional Water Services Commission. The plant serves 30,000 people in six communities.</p><p>At the site of Crossfield's wastewater treatment lagoons, wastewater foreman Joe Holstein points toward four anaerobic cells — in essence, areas in which the contaminants are broken down.</p><p>“That's where the water comes through, and it circulates through the four ponds. Then it's eventually dumped into this, which is called our factory life pond," Holstein said. “This is where more treatment occurs.”</p><p>It will stay in this pond for about 45 days, being treated. Then it will be pumped over to an effluent storage cell, located about half a kilometre away.</p><p>That's where it will receive its final treatment before being released to be used on the local golf course, used for irrigation on farmland or sold to fracking companies.</p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container image medium "><div class="entry-element"><figure class="entry-image with-caption"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Untitled_design_%2822%29.png" alt="" srcSet="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Untitled_design_%2822%29.png 300w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_460/Untitled_design_%2822%29.png 460w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_620/Untitled_design_%2822%29.png 620w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_780/Untitled_design_%2822%29.png 780w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1180/Untitled_design_%2822%29.png 1180w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1920/Untitled_design_%2822%29.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px,(min-width: 1181px) 1920px"><figcaption class="media-caption">Crossfield treats its wastewater before eventually releasing it to various places, including the local golf course, which uses it for watering the grass. (Monty Kruger/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">So far, </span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Crossfield has made about $30,000 selling its effluent — referring to wastewater after it’s been treated — to oil and gas companies.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“By selling it to a fracking company so that our ponds don’t get full, we don’t have to release it into the park. It decreases erosion and decreases the chances of flooding during wet years,” said Kim Harris, mayor of Crossfield. </span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container image medium "><div class="entry-element"><figure class="entry-image with-caption"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Untitled_design_%2823%29.png" alt="" srcSet="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Untitled_design_%2823%29.png 300w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_460/Untitled_design_%2823%29.png 460w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_620/Untitled_design_%2823%29.png 620w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_780/Untitled_design_%2823%29.png 780w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1180/Untitled_design_%2823%29.png 1180w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1920/Untitled_design_%2823%29.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px,(min-width: 1181px) 1920px"><figcaption class="media-caption">Crossfield Mayor Kim Harris says her town has sold around $30,000 worth of its wastewater to oil and gas companies doing fracking. (Monty Kruger/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">It's not only a financial boost for small towns. In Calgary, a major reuse project converts sewage into treated water used for cooling.</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container heading "> <div class="entry-element"> <h2 class="">Keeping the lights on</h2> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Standing atop a series of cooling towers at the Shepard Energy Centre, the largest natural gas-fuelled generating facility in the province, one can watch as steam billows into the air. It can create 868 megawatts of power at maximum capacity, roughly about half of what the City of Calgary uses.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">It generates power using water sourced from sewage. The water comes from the city’s Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant, through more than 14 kilometres of underground pipeline. The plant uses around 14 million litres of reclaimed water on a daily basis.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“The treatment here is a little bit different than what you would have at a typical facility that pulls in potable water,” said Jennifer Saldana, director of sustainability and Indigenous relations at Enmax. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">That’s because reclaimed wastewater does come with bacteria. They must do treatment differently, ensuring that when it is sent back into the facility, it’s not fouling up the pipes due to bacteria and algae.</span></p></div></div> <style type="text/css"> #inline-video_5 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/vlcsnap-2024-07-15-11h20m23s235.png') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { #inline-video_5 { width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; background:transparent url('/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/vlcsnap-2024-07-15-11h21m25s74.png') no-repeat 0 0; -webkit-background-size:cover; -moz-background-size:cover; -o-background-size:cover; background-size: cover; } } </style> <div class="entry-element-container inlineVideo fullwidth"> <div class="entry-element"> <figure class="inline-video-figure"> <video autoplay muted playsinline loop id="inline-video_5" class="inline-video" data-webm="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/enmaxvideo6.mp4" data-mp4="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/enmaxvideo6.mp4" data-webm-square="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/ENMAXsquare.mp4" data-mp4-square="/newsinteractives/content/video_backgrounds/ENMAXsquare.mp4" data-section="test">Your browser does not support the video tag.</video> <div class="hero-inline-video-controls"><button class="button-inline-video button-inline-video-fill" aria-pressed="false" role="switch"> <i class="pause"></i> Pause</button></div> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Using wastewater means the facility can avoid pulling in freshwater straight from the river or potable water the city has already treated. Over a year, this facility will use approximately six million cubic metres of reclaimed water.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">At the time the facility was being constructed, it was known that the area was prone to drought, Saldana said. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“If you’ve designed your facility to take wastewater, it’s not that different from designing a facility to take potable water. The operational costs are about a wash,” Saldana said. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“But for us, the benefit is in that long-term financial risk mitigation. In times of drought, we know that we have a secure supply of water.”</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container image-collage"><div class="entry-element"> <div class="collage unprocessed" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageGallery" data-count="fiveGallery31" data-collage-index="31" data-collage-type="fiveGallery"> <figure itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="div1" data-src-portrait="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_portrait/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_27008.png" data-src-landscape="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_landscape/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_27008.png" data-src-threeByTwo="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_threeByTwo/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_27008.png" data-src-square="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_square/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_27008.png"> <a href="" itemprop="contentUrl" data-size="" data-author="" id=""> <img src="" itemprop="thumbnail" alt=""/> </a> <figcaption itemprop="caption description"></figcaption> </figure> <figure itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="div2" data-src-portrait="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_portrait/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_9921.png" data-src-landscape="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_landscape/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_9921.png" data-src-threeByTwo="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_threeByTwo/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_9921.png" data-src-square="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_square/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_9921.png"> <a href="" itemprop="contentUrl" data-size="" data-author="" id=""> <img src="" itemprop="thumbnail" alt=""/> </a> <figcaption itemprop="caption description"></figcaption> </figure> <figure itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="div3" data-src-portrait="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_portrait/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_22185.png" data-src-landscape="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_landscape/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_22185.png" data-src-threeByTwo="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_threeByTwo/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_22185.png" data-src-square="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_square/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_22185.png"> <a href="" itemprop="contentUrl" data-size="" data-author="" id=""> <img src="" itemprop="thumbnail" alt=""/> </a> <figcaption itemprop="caption description"></figcaption> </figure> <figure itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="div4" data-src-portrait="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_portrait/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_11988.png" data-src-landscape="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_landscape/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_11988.png" data-src-threeByTwo="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_threeByTwo/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_11988.png" data-src-square="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_square/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_11988.png"> <a href="" itemprop="contentUrl" data-size="" data-author="" id=""> <img src="" itemprop="thumbnail" alt=""/> </a> <figcaption itemprop="caption description"></figcaption> </figure> <figure itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" class="div5" data-src-portrait="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_portrait/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_60493.png" data-src-landscape="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_landscape/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_60493.png" data-src-threeByTwo="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_threeByTwo/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_60493.png" data-src-square="/newsinteractives/content/photo_collage/_square/CAS_KRUGER_ENMAX_SEQ_concatenated_135130_frame_60493.png"> <a href="" itemprop="contentUrl" data-size="" data-author="Monty Kruger/CBC" id=""> <img src="" itemprop="thumbnail" alt=""/> </a> <figcaption itemprop="caption description"></figcaption> </figure> </div> <div class="media-caption"><span class="image-collage-expand-caption"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/common/zoom-in.svg" class="image-collage-expand-icon">images expand</span>The Shepard Energy Centre is a joint venture between Enmax Energy and Capital Power, located on the east side of Calgary. At the facility, makeup water is admitted to the cooling tower basin, and cooling water pumps take suction from the basin and discharge cooling water through the tubes of the condenser to the top of the cooling tower. The cooling water gives off heat as it falls back down to the tower basin. (Monty Kruger/CBC)</div> </div></div> <div class="entry-element-container heading "> <div class="entry-element"> <h2 class="">'Working in a vacuum'</h2> </div> </div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">Sturgess, the CEO of WaterSmart, has been personally involved in discussions since 2007 around what else Alberta could push for when it comes to water reuse.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">She sees a number of reasons why the province has been slow on the uptake compared to other jurisdictions. One involves return flow in southern Alberta, where water is overallocated.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“We have to put water back into the system, out of the city, back in so it can be used again downstream,” Sturgess said. </span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">If you're reusing that water, not as much is going back into the river. And so that causes a problem. That’s just mass balance.”</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Another roadblock is the same as what U.S. jurisdictions face — the “ick” factor.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">“‘</span><span style="background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;">I don't want to use this dirty water to wash my clothes,’ or whatever. That would be the ‘ick’ factor,” she said.</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container image medium "><div class="entry-element"><figure class="entry-image with-caption"><img src="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Kim_Sturgess.png" alt="" srcSet="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/Kim_Sturgess.png 300w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_460/Kim_Sturgess.png 460w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_620/Kim_Sturgess.png 620w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_780/Kim_Sturgess.png 780w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1180/Kim_Sturgess.png 1180w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1920/Kim_Sturgess.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px,(min-width: 1181px) 1920px"><figcaption class="media-caption">Kim Sturgess, CEO of WaterSmart, says there's been much discussion around possible water reuse in Alberta over decades, but the province has been slow to see adoption of the practice compared to other jurisdictions. (Monty Kruger/CBC)</figcaption></figure></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium text"><div class="entry-element"><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">There's also concern about the possibility of human contact with fecal matter, which can make people very sick. Experts agree that technology exists to ensure human safety, but there are always hurdles.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“I don't think it's a lack of confidence in the technology. It exists,” said Stadnyk, the </span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Canada Research Chair in hydrologic modelling.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“It's actually a confidence in the infrastructure to be able to do that. And then, the inspectors that we have trained and certified to be able to do that, and the bylaws and legislation that we have in place to be able to protect against that.”</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">Some guidelines </span><a href="https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/6a57d29c-d437-4dd9-94e3-d96bedc01bb4/resource/d533afcb-2933-43da-9199-eea030148c00/download/health-public-health-guidelines-water-reuse-stormwater-use-2021.pdf"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>have come down</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;"> at the provincial level. But Stadnyk said it's also time for national rules tied to water reuse, much like there are </span><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/water-quality/drinking-water/canadian-drinking-water-guidelines.html"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>national water quality guidelines</u></span></a><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“At the moment, we're working in a vacuum,” Standyk said.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">There's a chasm between reuse in places like Orange County and places like Alberta when it comes to policy and execution.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">But there's also a broader, simple commonality between the two jurisdictions, in the view of Patel at the Orange County Water District.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“You have a water scarcity issue,” he said.</span></p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#262626;">“What we're trying to get across is, there's no way for us to say that things will go back to the way they were, historically. I think it'd be kind of foolish for us to think that."</span></p></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container image "><div class="entry-element"><figure class="entry-image "><img src="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/whenindrought.jpg" alt="" srcSet="/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_300/whenindrought.jpg 300w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_460/whenindrought.jpg 460w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_620/whenindrought.jpg 620w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_780/whenindrought.jpg 780w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1180/whenindrought.jpg 1180w,/newsinteractives/content/images/_image_1920/whenindrought.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 300px,(max-width: 460px) 460px,(max-width: 620px) 620px,(max-width: 780px) 780px,(max-width: 1180px) 1180px,(min-width: 1181px) 1920px"></figure></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container content-embed"><div class="entry-element"><section><iframe title="Stories about drought in Alberta" aria-label="Locator maps" id="datawrapper-chart-2kVKY" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2kVKY/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="536" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}(); </script></section></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container medium author"><div class="entry-element"> <span class="entry-element-title">About the Authors</span> <div class="author_block_polopoly" data-author="1.5253918"></div><div class="author_block_polopoly" data-author="1.6736980"></div></div></div> <div class="entry-element-container related-stories clearfix"> <div class="entry-element"> <h2 class="related-stories-header">Related Stories</h2> <div class="storyContainer"> <div class="storyGrid-item related_polopoly_li" data-story="1.7231363"></div > <div class="storyGrid-item related_polopoly_li" data-story="1.7216052"></div > <div class="storyGrid-item related_polopoly_li" data-story="1.7186098"></div > </div> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> window.readJSConfig = { el: "#maincontent", cb: function(){ if (!!CBC.APP.SC.EventTracker.isOn()){ CBC.APP.SC.EventTracker.trackEvent("READ", { content:{url:"https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/flushing-the-ick-factor", type: "story", cms: "expression-engine", title: "Flushing the 'ick' factor", } }); }; } }; </script> <footer class="ee-footer" role="contentinfo"> <h2 class="a11y">Footer Links</h2> <div class="ee-footer__top ee-row"> <div class="ee-footer__column ee-footer__column--account"> <h3>My Account</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/account/">Profile</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://gem.cbc.ca/benefits/">CBC Gem</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://subscriptions.cbc.ca/listmanagement/">Newsletters</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ee-footer__column ee-footer__column--services"> <h3>Connect with CBC</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cbc/">Facebook</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://twitter.com/cbc/">Twitter</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CBCtv">YouTube</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cbc/?hl=en">Instagram</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://cbchelp.cbc.ca/hc/en-ca/categories/115000249853-Help-with-CBC-Apps">Mobile</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/rss/">RSS</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcasts">Podcasts</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="ee-footer__column ee-footer__column--services"> <h3>Contact CBC</h3> <ul> <li> <a href="https://cbchelp.cbc.ca/hc/en-ca/requests/new">Submit Feedback</a> </li> <li> <a href="https://cbchelp.cbc.ca/hc/en-ca">Help Centre</a> </li> </ul> <p> Audience Relations, CBC <br>P.O. 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"> 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Flushing the 'ick' factor