The Average American Would Pay $49 Per Month to Drink Recycled Toilet Water, Study Finds

"In a survey of small communities of fewer than 10,000 people published in the journal Water Resources Research, residents said they'd be willing to pay an average of $49 per month to have access to reused water. And hey, astronauts do it - so why shouldn't the rest of us get access as well?"

"In a nutshell, wastewater recycling works by first physically filtering the water, then subjecting it to reverse osmosis, and finally purifying it with ultraviolet light. It's so effective that Nevada already reuses 85 percent of its water, another recent study cited by Grist found."

""I do think it is a bipartisan issue," coauthor Todd Guilfoos, an economist at the University of Rhode Island, told Grist. "It's often just cheaper than some of the other available solutions.""

Wastewater recycling represents a viable solution for water conservation, with multiple U.S. cities already implementing these systems. The process involves physical filtration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet purification, making the water safe for human consumption. A recent study found residents in small communities support recycled water access and would pay approximately $49 monthly for it. Nevada already reuses 85 percent of its water through this method. The primary barrier to widespread adoption is the substantial upfront cost of building treatment facilities, though operating costs remain manageable. Astronauts have long used recycled water systems, demonstrating the technology's reliability and safety.

Read at Futurism