Don't Drink The Toilet Water!

Forums: Global Warming, Water, Architecture, Urban Design, Water Harvesting
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I am involved with the development of a piece of property on Main St in Charlottesville. Mixed use: retail, office, residential. on 6 floors. My architect/investment partner is big on the issue of water. His design "harvests" rainwater and run-off from people's showers. It would get filtered on-site and recycled into the sprinkler system, landscape watering and for use in toilets.
The City Code (as is the case in most communities, I hear) would require a notice next to toilets stating that the water did not come through the traditional water supply system like tap water does. Hence the warning: Do Not Drink The Toilet Water.
Across the street is a property where a 9-story hotel is planned. Same architect, but my fellow investor would be a major hotel chain.
In a meeting today, we went round and round about water "harvesting" with the hotel people arguing that, while "conservation is a noble cause," they have an issue with the "attitudes of uniformed guests."

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[+3] - dadpad - 11/14/2009Drewdad has all the good answers. Wish I was as intelligent and well recognised as him.

i've read that during a major catastrophe, where the entire infrastructure collapsed, you could get potable water from the tank on the back of the toilet

if it came down to that scenario, i think the fact that rainwater was used in the tank would be the least of my worries

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@realjohnboy,

You think dog's don't need any warnings do you? <<Harumph!>>

How thoughtless! Mad

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Heard a funny story just yesterday about a little girl and her first tea set. Seems she'd been left in the care of her dad while mom was out and he was glued to a football game on TV. Time after time she brought him a cup of "tea" (water) and he dutifully drank it while barely taking his eyes off the game.

When mom came home dad was being offered another cup of tea. "Isn't this cute?" he asked. "She's been doing this all afternoon."

"Hasn't it occurred to you that the only water she can reach is in the toilet bowl?" Mom replied.

(True story.)

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@realjohnboy,

Quote:

The City Code (as is the case in most communities, I hear) would require a notice next to toilets stating that the water did not come through the traditional water supply system like tap water does. Hence the warning: Do Not Drink The Toilet Water.

That's just plain silly. Surely they could come up with more appropriate wording, RJB?

In my part of Oz (where we've had ongoing restrictions on water use, due to years of extreme drought) organizations (like park managements, etc) place signs saying "recycled water in use" when this is the case. Some householders (with lush gardens) voluntarily display signs saying the same, or "tank water in use".

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@realjohnboy,

I really wasn't planning to drink the toilet water, anyway. This strikes me as somewhat to the OSHA requirement that dairies must display a sign in the milking shed advising that cow manure can be slick.

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@msolga,

Silly, indeed. The city official responsible agrees, but legal types are wary.
I argued for a sticker on the toilet tank reading "non-potable."
I think what irked me most was the hotel people saying they agreed with the concept of "conserving" and even "harvesting" water but then they came up with lame excuses for why this project should not be innovative in actually doing it.
25% of household water use goes down the toilet. In a hotel, I suspect 60% also goes down the shower.
They said it was too expensive to build recycling in. I know a bit about numbers. They are wrong.
They claimed the public, the uninformed public, would be confused. Not so, we said. I would love to don a hard hat and get into the guts of a new hotel and see how things like water recycling, solar and geothermal work.
They did not share my enthusaism.

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@realjohnboy,

Most Europeans are shocked we in N. America use treated water for everything including watering gardens. My friend used to live in Germany and she told me they bought all potable water in bottles, the stuff coming into the house was not safe to drink.

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@realjohnboy,

Quote:

Silly, indeed. The city official responsible agrees, but legal types are wary.
I argued for a sticker on the toilet tank reading "non-potable."
I think what irked me most was the hotel people saying they agreed with the concept of "conserving" and even "harvesting" water but then they came up with lame excuses for why this project should not be innovative in actually doing it.
25% of household water use goes down the toilet. In a hotel, I suspect 60% also goes down the shower.
They said it was too expensive to build recycling in. I know a bit about numbers. They are wrong.
They claimed the public, the uninformed public, would be confused. Not so, we said. I would love to don a hard hat and get into the guts of a new hotel and see how things like water recycling, solar and geothermal work.
They did not share my enthusaism.

Sounds as frustrating as hell, RJB.

I wonder of you've got the time, energy, finances & the inclination to run a reformist campaign to educate the officials responsible for this sorry state of affairs? Wink

Seems this might be the only way of making any progress!

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@realjohnboy,

realjohnboy wrote:

"attitudes of uniformed guests."

What, they think military folks are stupid?

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@DrewDad,

Touche, Drewdad. I saw the misspelling too late. I apologize.

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@realjohnboy,

I this were in Pa, thed esign innovation would be eligible for a significant incentive rebate and a tax credit under the "Growing Greener" initiatives with the Feds. It would be funny that some cacamemie ordinance would subvert your "water harvest" and "LEEDS incentive "

You need a good attorney that wants to work pro bono on a case that could make his or her career in arguing such cases in front of your state environmental agency and Public Utilitoies Commissioner.

SOunds interesting as hell.

PS we had a nice dinner with Ci and Mrs Ci and Thomas. Sorry that you got blindsided by the teeny minded operachik.

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@realjohnboy,

I was trying to amuse, not trying to zing.

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@msolga,

msolga wrote:

I wonder of you've got the time, energy, finances & the inclination...

I've got 3 out of 4.
The city Planning Dept is good. They understand how urban design is evolving with regards to infrastructure. The Planning Commission, the board that actually approves or disapproves projects, is unpredictable.
My architect is awesome and well respected. He can go on and on about water and urban neighborhoods. He, like I, is over 60 but he has a very good take on how the movement towards urban life vs rural life is something that cities have to be prepared for after decades of flight.
My sig line on A2K is "Never eat the 1st penguin to jump in the water."
I have used that line in minor speeches I have given around town. Usually works.

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@realjohnboy,

realjohnboy wrote:

My sig line on A2K is "Never eat the 1st penguin to jump in the water."

Maybe mine should be "Pioneers wear Arrow Shirts"

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@realjohnboy,

Quote:

They claimed the public, the uninformed public, would be confused.

Apparently the city planners believe that the uninformed public is so uninformed (perhaps unenlightened) that they would drink the water in the toilet. (I'm picturing someone down on all fours head in the bowl, and it's an ugly visual.) Now if that's the clientele that the hotel developers are going after, I'm not too sure I'd want to stay at that hotel.

Hope you eventually enlighten and convince the city planners.

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@Always Eleven to him,

The fixture is sometimes called "The porcelain telephone". Used for Calling Earl, as I remember from military experience.

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@Always Eleven to him,

Sounds to me like the city planners are not exactly going out of their way to ensure that the public is properly informed! Grrrrr! Stoopid city planners!

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I really hope you can get the go ahead on this. There are a few ne subdivisions in our major city that are installing 3 separate infrastructure for potable main supply, recycled water and desalinated water. I am involved with supplying markers. blue for main supply, purple for desal and grey for recycled
Your hotel patners mayl listen to statistcs and numbers.
I suggest you ask them what their target market will be and set up a focus group within this demographic. If the focus group suggests that recycled water is a problem you need to accept that. If not then present the numbers to your partner.

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@realjohnboy,

Can you change to text to something less offensive? "Do Not Drink the Toilet Water" makes it sound like the guests are gap-toothed hillbillies.

"Water supplied to this toilet is recycled, and is not safe for consumption. This notice required by City Code XX-YY."

(Instead of "toilet", "device"? "water tank"?)

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Don't Drink The Toilet Water!

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