Palo Alto and Mountain View, California are to consider the cost implications of building a salt-removal plant to make treated wastewater more usable for trees and vegetation. The cities signed an agreement with Valley Water in 2019, with the $20m salt-removal plant a major component. However, costs have doubled, with total construction costs estimated at $52.6m and the cities on the hook for a combined $24.7m. The project also involves constructing a pump station and pipelines, with Valley Water to finance and operate a purification plant at the same site. The plant will rely on reverse osmosis to convert treated wastewater into potable water.
My initial reaction to the article is a mix of hope and excitement. I was a little caught off guard by the title of the article and thought that it must have been a different Palo Alto then the one so close to us. The advancements in wastewater treatment technology that it discusses show a promising future for the industry and the environment, and for it to be so close to home is incredibly cool. The idea of using sustainable and eco-friendly methods to clean and recycle water is fantastic and much needed in today’s world. In my opinion, the future of wastewater treatment looks very promising, however, I also recognize that there is still much work to be done in terms of implementing these new technologies on a large scale and making them accessible to communities around the world, along with what the article brought up about the cost factors involved, and how it is defintley a serious financial commitment. Overall, I believe that the future of wastewater treatment is bright, and I am encouraged by the progress that is being made in this field and it is so cool to see it being implemented so close to home.
I agree with your statement and think that this saltwater treatment plant is really cool. I think that saltwater treatment is the future because we are eventually going to run out of freshwater. When do you think saltwater treatment will be economically feasible to be used often and around the world?
Thanks for commenting, I think a lot of people wonder that too, as it is such an abundant resource, although I believe that is last step regarding water treatment, the amount of energy and money needed to treat salt water makes it very hard to justify.
It’s awesome to see areas close to our local community take strides like this. I agree that it’s great to see the use of eco-friendly technology, hopefully, the new ways can be successfully implemented! How do you think this will ultimately help us in conserving water, especially during drought.