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A lot of valuable water along the thirsty Wasatch Front simply goes down the drain. Somehow, there ought to be a way to reuse it.
Leaders of Salt Lake County and eight cities at the south end of the valley agree.
KSL applauds them for undertaking a study to determine if it is feasible to recapture and use so-called "effluent" water.
Some 28-million gallons a day of wastewater flow into the South Valley Water Reclamation Facility. It’s water residents throughout the south end of the valley have used in and about their homes. At the reclamation facility it’s treated then released into the Jordan River.
Think of it! Twenty eight million gallons a day! It isn’t potable water. You wouldn’t want to drink it. But it could be used to keep a lot of lawns and gardens green, including public parks and golf courses.
But, is recapturing effluent water worth the cost of building or expanding secondary water delivery systems in the various communities? And what of those who lay claim to water downstream in the Jordan River? What are the legal issues involved? Can water rights be dealt with fairly?
Those are some of the questions the $40-thousand feasibility study will address. In this time of rapidly expanding demand and in the midst of a prolonged drought, they are questions KSL believes must be asked and answered.
