03/26/2026
Food For Thought for the future. It's been brought to my attention it would seem a struggle for most municipalities, hoping for growth, to improve their sewer systems. Always mentioned as an environmental necessity. And I get it, proper sewage treatment and groundwater drainage is extremely important.
I'm outside of the box thinking for better waste management beginning with the source.
My question for today is the future of our freshwater systems. When will it be time to consider dual Water Supply systems? Desalinized ocean water is a necessity in places not blessed with the Great Lakes and wonderful river systems the United States have. Yet when considering truly wanting to protect the freshwater this country value so much, why are we not doing more to protect that fresh water? I'm not suggesting we reinvent the wheel when it comes to freshwater applications. Existing systems are the best in the world. The possibility for dual systems need be considered. There are a lot of commercial businesses that could get by with a system of desalinization and water supply from and back to the oceans. There is a tremendous Supply with proper treatment of course. There is an unnamable amount of commercial Sanitation situations with only the option of freshwater used for cleaning purposes. Easiest example being car washes and commercial buildings without consumables or human facilities, the need of drinking water, or bathing needs. The average six Bay Car Wash can go through 40,000 gallons of freshwater today. That's about half of what you use in an entire year. Removing all those contaminants and oil from your vehicle to go down the drain and to your treatment plant!
These situations along with toxic chemical plants that have periodic cleanup as maintenance for performance of machinery could be improved by connection to a desalonized water system. So we can stop using our precious freshwater and human Wastewater facilities trying their best in removing the deadly forever chemicals.
Our common Wastewater facilities would not work as hard without having the commercial waste. The commercial waste could be treated to the degree acceptable for ocean disposal without harm to that ecosystem and creating zero chance of poisoning our rivers and streams! I realize this would be a herculine project Nationwide but the time to start maybe now!
If we can pipe natural gas to every home in America desalinized water for commercial Sanitation should be easy. If you truly want to protect freshwater this may be your answer. I don't believe in a lot of green causes.
But this is one I can damn sure get on board with tell everyone you heard it here first!! Just a dumb plumber in southern Indiana.
