The cloudy paradox of using reclaimed wastewater

Florida is facing a new dilemma as the state’s supply of drinking water is beginning to dry up. The solution is to use Reclaimed Wastewater in situations where drinking water can be preserved. However, while most facilities can clean out the fecal matter and makeup that pollute the water, other chemicals still make their way past the process. Nitrogen and phosphorus are being detected in processed reclaimed water and as WGCU’s Senior Environmental Reporter Tom Bayles explains, those ingredients are counterproductive for areas that are currently using the water in irrigation, while amid a fertilizer ban.