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It isnt thay simple. As i kid we had non-potable water in the pipes. (Middle east) It was recycled water heavy on chlorine, safe for washing but not drinkable
by sandworm101 1y ago
It isnt thay simple. As i kid we had non-potable water in the pipes. (Middle east) It was recycled water heavy on chlorine, safe for washing but not drinkable. Pressure was never the issue. We drank from a "sweetwater" tap, which also fed the hot water tank and the dishwasher.
Using safe potable water to flush toilets is silly. Splitting drinking from other uses is far more efficient.
- londons_explore 1y ago> Splitting drinking from other uses is far more efficient. This isn't universally true. Pipework (laying+maintaining), collection and storage is generally the expensive bit of any water system. The actual purification is fairly cheap. That means having two sets of pipes to every house (one for drinking water, one for mid-grade water) usually costs more than just one set of pipes and having all water drinkable. Thats why it's rarely done. The alternative is you use the pipes for non-potable water, and tell people to buy bottled water for drinking - more than half the world is in this position I believe. It helps that people drink perhaps only 1% of the water they use - so bringing 1% of the water via bottles on the back of a motorbike is viable.
- sandworm101 1y agoThat isnt how it is always done. In not-dry countries, the non-potable water is generally collected locally. It is filtered rainwater from cisterns, not piped public water from afar.
- Chris2048 1y ago> two sets of pipes to every house Could you not recycle clean water? e.g. a rough filter & chlorination of shower/dishwasher water to use for other things. Some stages of a dishwasher without harsh chemicals might be used to water a lawn?