What are Treatment Plant issues concerning water conservation?

Question

What are Treatment Plant issues concerning water conservation?

Answer 1

I am not sure I understand the complete thrust of your question.  It could refer to primary water treatment or wastewater treatment.  I will take a shot at some wastewater issues.

However, water treatment plants have not  ordinarily been built for water conservation purposes.  They treat waste water to try to reduce its odor, remove solid waster, reduce disease-carrying capacity and so on.  Then the treated wastewater is usually run into a lake, river, or ocean.

This wastewater usually has high levels of materials suspended in it that makes it not potable (not drinkable), and can harm aquatic life (for example, some waste encourages the growth of algae, which can take excessive oxygen out of the water and essentially suffocate fish).  There can also be fairly high levels of presciption drugs in wastewater which are excreted by people who use the products or who think it is proper to throw leftover pharmaceuticals into the toilet.

Highest levels of wastewater treatment can also be pretty costly in terms of materials and energy.

Some advances in wastewater treatment and disposal are to try to recharge aquifers by injecting the treated water in to the ground.  The hope is that the soil will filter contaminants out of the water and render it potable.

Another step is to use the wastewater to do things clean water used to do, such as water golf course or fill residential lakes.  In both cases, uncontaminated water is spared and there is at least the possibility that the wastewater will find its way into the soil and recharge water tables.

Even the cleanest wastewater is of doubtful potability and the public probably isn't quite ready to drink their treated sewage.

Answer 2

The high cost of buying water to meet demands of a community coupled with increasingly stringent federal requirements for improving drinking water quality has created problems for many cities. Water treatment plants have a difficult time keeping up with demands.  Included in the demands are budget cuts, filters, chemicals and chemical storage, upkeep and replacement of pumps, piping, valves, electrical equipment, instrumentation and controls. Most cities have started a water conservation program to ensure that future demands can be meet.