From sewer to beer can

[OpenSights]

“If you’ve been to WEFTEC recently or follow the news closely, then you know about beers made from recycled wastewater. No such beers are going to market anytime soon, but they’ve been brewed and taste tested in a variety of venues, including an annual Sustainable Beer Smackdown held at WEFTEC in each of the past three years.

In line with growth in small-scale brewing, the making of “reuse” beers has caught on with a number of clean-water entities, including Clean Water Services in Oregon, the Pima County (Arizona) Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department, Hillsborough County in Florida, and Pure Water San Diego. They’ve provided raw material to home and craft brewers to create beers of various kinds for contests and special events.

The Water Environment Federation believes brewing with highly purified wastewater is a great way to start conversations with the public about the power of water treatment technology and the importance of water reuse as a part of the national and global water resource picture.”

Read more here.

https://www.tpomag.com/editorial/2018/04/clean-water-industry-raises-a-foamy-glass-to-water-reuse

Back in the early 2000s when I first started plumbing San Diego was using purified waste water for irrigation. I remember talk of using it potable water after more testing.

I don’t know anything about the process, I’m a service plumber and drain cleaner. Sounds like the space station toilet has gotten bigger and cheaper.

 

[madscientist451]

Well, if sewage was boiled, it wouldn't hurt you. would it?

 

[day_trippr]

Ugh. That's hardly an enticement...

 

[lschiavo]

There is very little new water. I would guess that it's all been sewage at one point. What's the big deal?

 

[Yooper]

There is very little new water. I would guess that it's all been sewage at one point. What's the big deal?

Been brewin' again @lschiavo ? LOL

After living near seemingly pristine lakes and rivers and oceans, but seeing the wastewater treatment discharges in those same waters, I have to agree with you there.

 

[OpenSights]

Instead of natural filtration via septic tank and leach field. it’s now a manufacturing process.

I’m hoping this technology becomes widespread. Around here there’s a lot of pesticides from farm land leaching into wells.

 

[OpenSights]

Been brewin' again @lschiavo ? LOL

After living near seemingly pristine lakes and rivers and oceans, but seeing the wastewater treatment discharges in those same waters, I have to agree with you there.

In my area, when there’s a heavy rain the treatment plants become overwhelmed and they let the overflow dump into the Grand River. Over the last 20 years they’ve been separating storm and sewer. Makes getting around town a PITA in the summer, but it’s for the better.

 

[S-Met]

I saw a documentary, i I think "How beer saved the world" or similar that they brewed beer with swampy pond water. Something about how breweing provided safer hydration.

 

[OpenSights]

Anytime you drink above ground water you always want to boil or filter to drink. Alcohol is a diuretic, but with beers lower abv I don’t really know how much hydration you get from it.

But speaking of swampy water, the worst water I’ve ever drank was at Paris Island. Nasty stuff!

 

[waldoar15]

Getting rid of the bacteria and viral contaminants is one thing. Getting rid of the chemical and drug compounds left in that water is probably another matter.

 

[OpenSights]

Very true. I’m on really hard city water, compatible to well water, but without fertilizers but with chlorine and all the other crap. I have to soak my shower head in clr every 3-4 months because it chokes off so bad it’s like a pressure washer. I don’t mind, but Mrs. OpenSights doesn’t like it with her lady parts.

I have my eye on an RO system at my supply house, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Currently using a gravity filter or gallon jugs from a local convenience store. Awesome water!

 

[lschiavo]

Been brewin' again @lschiavo ? LOL

No brewing. Barely even drinking. I'm planning to mooch Homebrew off of you soon though.

Instead of natural filtration via septic tank and leach field. it’s now a manufacturing process.

I get that. It's cool and will probably become a necessity in some places. It's funny that so many will have to overcome the ick factor though.

Hey, how about human fertilizer and stop dumping all those nasty chemicals on fields while we're at it. Currently, it's burnt or put in landfills. I've worked at a few treatment plants. You should see the tomatoes, corn, pot, etc. that grows in that stuff. But ick!

 

[Northern_Brewer]

They used to reckon that London mains water had gone through anywhere between 7 and 20 people on its way down the Thames - and that's what Fuller's use, so if you've had a Fuller's beer, you've had beer made with multiply-recycled water. (although supposedly arrangements are different now, more of the treated wastewater is disposed of downstream of the extraction points).

And ultimately, most water gets recycled endlessly, so the rain that falls has been through dozens if not hundreds of people before it evaporated into the clouds.

So really it just comes down to how well it's processed - the water companies could put RO water down the pipes, but people probably would object to the cost of it in most places (but not all, as even London now has a RO plant fed by brackish estuary water for periods of peak water stress)

They used to say that the finest tomatoes in Britain were grown on the night soil of Manchester - although they probably also had unwelcome visitors like worm eggs.

 

[OpenSights]

I hear ya, creeps me out, but I always have to remind myself.... at one time to call my friend I’d have to hope he was home and “dial” a rotary phone and thought the crap you saw on Star Trek was impossible!

Posted from my iPad because I haven’t used an actual computer in at least two years and I run my own business.

Crazy!

 

[Setsumi]

I live in South Africa, some regions have the worst droughts in history. Recycled waste water is nothing new BUT all want clean water.... Until they need water. That said where i live we had good rains the last weeks. Maybe a rain water brew is in order.

 

[NoIguanaForZ]

Get BMC on board.

Average person: "B/M/C is brewing with treated sewage now?!"
Environmentalist: "B/M/C is brewing with treated sewage now!"
Beer Lover: "B/M/C is brewing with treated sewage now!"