Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/780480
Joke of the Week David went to the pet store and told th e owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet. After some discussion, he finally bought a talking centipede, which came in a little white box that served as his abode. David took the box back home, found a good location for it, and decided he would start o ff by taking his new pet to a movie with him. So he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go see a film with me today? We will have a good time." But there was no answer from his new pet. This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes a nd then asked him again, "How about going to a movie with me and eating some popcorn?" But again, there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation. He decided to ask the bug once again; this tim e putting his face up against the centipede's house and shouting, "Hey, in there! Would you like to go to the theater with me and watch a couple of the Oscar - nominated pictures?" Finally, a small voice came out of the box: "I heard you the first time; I'm putting on my shoes." © Portable Sanitation Ass ociation International (PSAI) • 2626 E 82 n d Street, Suite 175 • Bloomi ngton, MN 55425 www.psai.org • 952 - 854 - 8300 W EEKLY EDITION FEB 1, 2017 The "New Age" Version of the Water Cycle The concept of directly treating wastewater for drinking – also known as "toilet to tap" – may be legal in Arizona before 2018. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality announced last week that they plan to propose legalizing the idea of "direct portable reuse" in just six months. Chuck Graf, Senior Hydrologist for the department, and his officials credit "better technology and safety measures" for why wastewater can finally be treated for drinking without unfortunate side effects. "Water resuse's time has come. It's a large theme taking place across the U.S. and the world," said Tim Thomure, Director of Tucson Water at a state water recycling committee meeting earlier last week. Ho wever, the legalization of the practice does not necessarily indicate implementation. It may take at least two to three years to establish the "toilet to tap" concept, which would likely begin only in regions where water recharge is limited (such as mounta inous or less - urban areas). A key factor as to why some states are beginning to pursue direct reuse of wastewater is drought. While Arizona is not in a current drought period, the Department of Environmental Quality's water reuse regulations are fairly d ated – they've been unchanged since 2001. If the state does find itself in need of a new system in the future, they're moving forward with the initiative while they currently have the time and reason to, now that the technology has caught up to the idea. R EAD THE STORY