Why not waste water? Does it not just get recycled?

Question

I understand that it shouldn't be wasted in the summer, or periods of low rainfall because of drought etc. But what about times when rainfall is high and there is no lack of water, is it not just recycled if drained, or naturally in the water cycle?

To clarify - I dont waste water anyway but mainly because thats what ive always been told.

Also - please dont give me anything about people in areas of sustained drought, the water I use cannot be given to them.

Answer 1

I would say that it costs a lot of energy to run the water cleaning plant, as there is machinery to move the water. In addition, there are other things that cost energy and all add up, for instance lightbulbs used in the plant, workers commuting there, the energy used to build it, some of the microbes that are added to the water to clean it, and so on. Also think of the dams that are built as water reservoirs for human settlements; again they cost energy to build, and they can also cut into natural habitats of plants and animals. Therefore I think it is sensible to save water and only run as many dams and water recycling plants as we need.

Answer 2

Depends from the country you live in: if you live in Australia, where water is really scarce, the water wont be recycled and will land straight in the ocean.

In other more developed countries however, there are water recycling plants that deal with this issue. less to worry about wasting water, but it still costs energy and tax money to clean it again.

So: never waste water :D

hope this answers the question.

Answer 3

Usually not within the municipal waste water treatment system (assuming you have one).  In most cases, it's only treated to a permissible standard for discharge.

Of course, unless the astronauts take it with them, all water remains within the water cycle.  However, the overwhelming majority of that water isn't readily accessible for use as fresh water.

Laslty, regardless of where the water goes, all water supplies have a fixed capacity and they require energy to pump the water to you.  If you're wasting water, you're also wasting energy and capital.