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Toilet to tap? Daytona Beach experiments with turning treated wastewater into drinking water

The city of Daytona Beach is part of a new pilot program to experiment with turning treated wastewater into drinking water. The city is working with Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the St. Johns River Water Management District on the project.

The city has built a treatment facility for the two-year pilot project, but the water isn’t currently part of the city’s drinking supply. The state said no reclaimed water is being used as drinking water in Florida. The project aims to explore the feasibility of creating an alternative drinking supply to offset future demand.

Volusia County resident David Caplette said the idea of drinking treated wastewater is tough to stomach. "I drink water whenever I take my medicine. I drink a lot of water," he said. "There’s no way I’d want to drink recycled water."

Tom Meyers, who owns Rhokkoh’s Frozen Yogurt, said he would want to invest in a filtration system if the program were to be implemented.

"I don’t even drink tap water now without it being filtered," he said. "So I can assure you I wouldn’t be comfortable if I knew what was coming out of that faucet came from wastewater.”

The state said reclaimed water is primarily used for irrigation and helps […]

More about various wastewater types in public water supplies:

Septic systems are a major source of emerging contaminants in drinking water

Algae from wastewater solves two problems: biofuel and cleanup

Exploring the use of wastewater in agriculture

A global, spatially-explicit assessment of irrigated croplands influenced by urban wastewater flows

Understanding chemical byproducts formed during water treatment

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Toilet to tap? Daytona Beach experiments with turning treated wastewater into drinking water
Description
Daytona Beach FL: a pilot is program turning treated wastewater into drinking water. Working with Florida DEP and St. Johns River Water Management District.
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WFTV 9 ABC
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