The treated water contains less bacteria than storm water runoff and will be tested regularly to ensure compliance with permits issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Environmentalists, however, said reclaimed water raises concerns about sprawling development and potential contamination to groundwater.

The procedure is not common in New Jersey because the state has an abundant water supply, making it relatively cheap and often not worth the extra expense of recycling. While the Homestead system is unlikely to send industrial waste onto lawns, it could lead to a buildup of fertilizer and flushed medications trickling into the aquifer, which supplies drinking water for the region. The larger issue, as Jeff Tittel, executive director of the Sierra Club’s New Jersey chapter, sees it, is “One of the things we need to do is plant more native grasses that use less water.” Tittel supports the use of recycled water for cooling power plants and flushing the toilets in large buildings. “To me, that makes a lot more sense. Spraying it on lawns and putting it back in the environment, when it can carry chemicals even if it’s treated to a higher standard, doesn’t make as much sense,” he said.

Source: Associated Press