Heal the Ocean (HTO) has released an Ocean Wastewater Discharge Report that has been in the making for years.
Among the report’s findings is the fact that only 312 million gallons of wasted water are reclaimed for recycling while 1.35 billion gallons of wasted water from 43 California wastewater treatment facilities are washed into the ocean every day.
The report’s authors assert that more than 1 billion gallons of waste water is capable of being reclaimed. However, water quality standards should be updated as chemical pollutants from a myriad of everyday products like antibacterial soaps and shampoos are contaminating the water that is shipped to the sea.
Among its many recommendations is a high-profile public education campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of high-quality recycled water and its potential to be cleaner than many drinking water supplies.
The challenge, as has become the norm in our state, will be finding the funding to implement even a few of HTO’s recommendations.
Where are the major media reports on this matter? Thanks to The Daily Sound in Santa Barbara for reporting the results of Heal the Ocean’s report and inventory.
3.17.10
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