The Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San diego is pioneering a type of on-site wastewater recycling system. It will divert 10,000 gallons of sewage at the base each day, treat it to state standards and pump it through irrigation lines to the roots of landscape plants. If all works according to plan, passers-by won’t notice anything except verdant vegetation, and the technology will be deployed at military bases nationwide.
It will process wastewater from barracks and it’s expected to start working in January. The effluent will need to meet health and safety codes for a year before it’s used for irrigation around a memorial for drill instructors.
The idea for the process goes back at least to the 1970s, when a few designers started mimicking natural processes to provide electricity and clean water. Wetlands served as inspiration for removing pollutants from water, and engineers constructed various wetland-based systems that have been deployed across the country. The whole process takes place underground until the effluent is clean enough for irrigation and industrial processes where health codes permit.
Depending on the type of reuse, the water can be treated by ozone, ultraviolet, or chlorine to kill any pathogens that remain.
Numerous reuse schemes are popping up around the country as water shortages and green initiatives create a demand for these processes. Ozone and UV often play a prominent role where the water can come in contact with humans.