Sustainability Why don't we add recyclable sewers ?

[Maciamo]

Always more humans on earth, always consuming more, with always less resources... Ecology will become a major issue of the century. Ancient Greeks and Romans already had sewer systems. We have not progressed much since then... I wonder why governments have never, anywhere in the world, at any time, considered to separate organic/recyclable-waste sewers from toxic/chemical-waste sewers. It would be fairly simple. Toilets produce organic waste (excrement and paper), while most of the other water canalisations reject water polluted with chemical soaps and detergents.

I suppose that this hasn't been done yet because chemical detergents are fairly new (historically), and that government didn't see any need for such a separation given the cost involved to put this system into practice.

Wouldn't it make sense to re-use the organic wastewaters as fertiliser, and treat the chemical rejections directly at the source (sewer system) instead of letting it flow into rivers and seas and pollute the environment like now ?

 

[Kinsao]

That sounds like a mighty good idea to me.

Expensive it would be to set up, but worth it imo.

 

[Aristander]

Isn't sewage treatment and the recycling of solid wastes common in European countries? I know that sewage treatment and waste water management is big business in the US.
US industries and communities have to comply with strict environmental laws that limit the amount of phosphates and other chemical elements that can be part of a waste treatment facilities effluent.
Recently big efforts have been put in place in the US to try and eliminate and control drugs that come from human waste. Antibiotics, hormones and anti-psychotic medications are a big problem had have serious effects on plant and animal life that consume waste water that enters back into the environment.
I work for a major chemical manufacturer, every drop of waste water that leaves our plant site is sampled and tested for purity before it enters back into the environment. We maintain a bio-treatment plant that removes all toxic metals and chemicals and then the water is filtered through a strictly monitored wetland. The wetland has become an educational center for children all over the area. A full-time educational staff is maintained and the facility is monitored by State Environmental and Wildlife agencies.
Also the water that contains nitrates (ammonia) in concentrations higher than can be processed easily by normal treatment methods is diluted with water and used to fertilize hay meadows. Due to the industrial nature of the waste water the hay produced is not used for food animal feed, but is donated to zoos and animal parks. Every year our plant donates 100's of tonnes of hay for zoo animal fodder.

 

[smartB]

That's really great idea.