My position on Reverse Osmosis injection of treated waste water

By James Edward "Jim" Deline

1. What is driving the push to inject RO water? Is it practical reasons or political?
2. If it really is necessary to supplement the groundwater, are other alternatives available?
3. How does the cost compare to other technologies?
4. What are the long-term consequences of either injecting RO water, or not injecting it?

If you think about it, backpackers have been using similar technology for many years to produce safe drinking water while hiking in the backcountry. I am talking about the compact water purification and micro-filtration devices available in any outdoor equipment store. The technology they use is almost identical to large-scale RO plants.

However, this issue needs to be studied carefully before a decision is made. The state rushed to add MTBE to our gasoline, and now it has become an environmental nightmare. We need to make sure that RO injection is absolutely safe, AND, we need it.