Home Brewers Turn Wastewater Into Beer

The WateReuse Assn. issued a challenge to Florida home brewers—turn recycled water into great-tasting beer. More than 100 home brewers from the Tampa, Fla., area accepted the challenge and 24 certified beer tasters judged the brews at a tasting on Sept. 10.

Water reuse is the process of purifying wastewater to safely use it for another purpose, including drinking. The water used in the contest was wastewater from homes and small businesses in the Tampa area. Multiple advanced technologies were used to purify the water to make it safe for drinking. The recycled water was tested to ensure it met stringent water quality standards for drinking, and, now, the water is cleaner than most bottled water.

Tetra Tech, Xylem and GE partnered with WateReuse to produce the purified water using a multi-step treatment process, which includes stringent filtration and disinfection methods. Special Hoperations, a local homebrew club, organized the contest and recruited the home brewers.

Water reuse helps communities provide a safe, reliable, locally controlled supply of water, which protects the environment, sustains a robust economy, and ensures a high quality of life. To meet the growing demand for water amid shrinking supplies, more and more communities are reusing water for a variety of purposes.

Source: WateReuse Assn.