Relax, It's All Recycled Pee Anyway

This Guy Not Only Drank Your Water First, He Made It.

London's Thames Water utility is polling city residents for their views on drinking recycled sewage water.  It's one solution being considered for a looming water shortage facing the British capital.

London residents are being asked by the company for their views on the idea of drinking sewage water that had been treated, put back in the Thames or another river and then retreated.

Key to whether the proposal went ahead was whether Londoners were happy with such a water supply - or revolted by knowing its origins, even after being reassured by scientists about its quality and safety.

London would face a growing water shortage as the population increased towards 10 million.

It's all pee, every last drop of it.  It's been estimated that every molecule of water you drink passed through at least four dinosaurs in the course of their era and who knows how many other critters ever since.

The difference is that we're overwhelming nature's ability to supply us with enough clean freshwater.  So the Brits want to take sewage water, treat it, chuck it in the river, take it back out and retreat it again so they can have a lovely cuppa. 

As far as I can tell, putting the treated water into the river and drawing it back out again, is a gesture to make it seem a little less repugnant to users.  Other places already doing this don't bother with that formality.

After all Chris Hadfield and crew don't have any river on the International Space Station.