Wastewater is cleansed in the preliminary stage of recycling at the West Basin Municipal Water District water recycling facility in El Segundo, Calif.
Robyn Beck/Getty Images
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Robyn Beck/Getty Images
Would you drink recycled wastewater? It could be a solution to the global water crisis. But not everyone is ready to jump onboard. They say it’s not technology that’s keeping more cities from recycling their wastewater, but psychology. Experts call this resistance “the yuck factor.” We chat with water journalist Peter Annin about some history behind water recycling – and why more cities could adopt the solution soon.
This is part of a whole series on the world’s dwindling water supply. Check out the rest of the water series:
Part 1: When the wells run dryPart 2: The world’s groundwater problemPart 3: Freshwater’s growing salt problem
Email us your questions about water, the wider environment – or anything else to do with science at shortwave@npr.org. We may turn it into an episode in the future!
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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez. Aru Nair checked the facts. The audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.