Smart Sanitation

That's the time it takes for water that was once in an Orange County, California, toilet, sewer, or God-knows-where-else to change into a form that's purer than what's in your morning coffee. That Groundwater Replenishment System, the first plant of its type and scale in the U.S., went online in January, converting wastewater that would otherwise get dumped into the ocean into seventy million gallons a day of freshwater. The facility uses a three-step process: microfiltration, to remove bacteria and solids; reverse osmosis, to get rid of minerals; and an ultraviolet-light and hydrogen-peroxide treatment, to destroy any remaining organic compounds. The water is then pumped into recharge basins, which disperse it into the groundwater; it eventually becomes accessible six to twelve months later. It's enough water for half a million people, and the process consumes only about half the amount of energy of typical treatments.

For another innovative water solution, see "Lord Dumpling's Magic Water Machine."