Q. Two years ago, I heard from an employee of Miami-Dade Water and Sewer that, in the near future, the county would begin treating waste water and pumping it back to our homes. I couldn't imagine the public outrage that would occur when people found out that they were drinking recycled toilet water!
Now, I've heard the same thing again -- from an employee of the North Miami water department. Is this an urban legend or what?
-- Tim Seay, via e-mail
A. We sent your inquiry to Frank Calderon, spokesman for Miami-Dade County's Water and Sewer Department.
His short answer: ``No. The state won't certify treated wastewater, no matter how clean, for drinking, bathing, washing dishes, etc.''
The longer answer: Because of anticipated future growth (the county commission recently voted to allow construction beyond the Urban Development Boundary), the state is requiring the county to find sources of water to supplement the current primary source, the Biscayne Aquifer. Through the South Florida Water Management District, the state won't allow the county to draw more than its current usage from the Aquifer, which is 346 million gallons per day. (This was established in a 20-year Water Use Permit granted the county by Water Management in November 2007.)
At the same time, the state wants the county to reclaim more of its wastewater. That's what's generating the rumors you're hearing. Lots of experiments are going on. But this is a long, involved process. You'll need to stay tuned for intermittent updates.
