A guide to types of non potable water and the potential for reuse in urban systems

Abstract

Agriculture in urban areas in the US and much of the developed world is protected by secure and reliable sources of water for irrigation. Garden hoses have always provided safe and potable water for plants and people. However, there are multiple reasons to look towards other sources in urban areas. Centralized systems have aging infrastructure. Leaks in pipes that both bring potable water to homes as well as collect used water from homes result in significant quantities of wasted water (Ghimire et al. 2014). Treating water to potable standards requires energy and depletes fossil resources. While this is necessary for potable water, water for irrigation does not need to meet the same rigorous standards. Decentralized water collection and use was once commonplace (Van Meter et al. 2014). It is again being looked at as a more sustainable alternative to centralized systems and groundwater irrigation around the world (Van Meter et al. 2014). While much of the focus has been on agricultural systems in rural areas, there are many reasons to apply these approaches for urban agriculture as well.