Potable water reuse is a ...

Potable water reuse is a question of need and cost, but it is also a sustainability issue. It costs less than desalination, too. So, its applications  will continue to grow over time . There are well established technologies with clear performance capabilities, including for pharmaceuticals. The systems perform better than conventional surface water treatment processes. The analytical technology continues to be improved. Real time on line monitoring for key performance indicators is readily available.  There are also technologies capable of identifying essentially all of the microbes that are in the  source water and their removals at the various unit process stages.  So, the science and technology exist and the produced water is better quality than many current conventional drinking water systems.  It is very appropriate to have good control of inputs to the wastewater, as well as very good secondary and tertiary treated wastewater and that reduces the demands on the advanced treatment system. Of course, other less than potable reuse is also highly desirable and less controversial and less costly and it allows an  offset from the 'natural' water.