Should we recycle urine?

[arcadian]

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/11/26/should-we-recycle-urine-on-earth-too/

After five days of tinkering, astronauts aboard the International Space Station ran their first successful test Tuesday of equipment that turns urine into drinking water.

Delivered to the station by the Space Shuttle Endeavour, the $154 million water recycling system, which also processes sweat and moisture from the air, is designed to quench astronauts’ thirst while requiring fewer costly resupply missions. Samples of the recycled water will be tested back on earth before astronauts aboard the station can start drinking from the system’s tap.

This raises a question: Can we build these things on earth? Maybe even for a little less than $154 million?

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Speaking of drinking your own urine.

Was this commented on here?

Yeah, I might drink my own after it's been through a 5 billion dollar NASA purifer, but the idea that somebody else's in there too, that's just gross. :crazy:

[DarkTirade]

1. On earth it's pretty easy actually.

Just make a still.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

2. Many, many people already do.

It's a simple process one calls "pissing into the wind".

I personally know several folk who do it on a regular basis.

:headbang:

Some also try the old standby "Piss up a rope" move, but it's my understanding that one isn't quite as popular. I don't know why. :shrug:

[Solon]

3. Well technically whenever you drink water, from whatever source...

you are drinking water that was naturally and artificially filtered, and most of it has already been peed out by some animal on this planet.

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. Ding! The Earth is a recycling system already.

Sadly, that means that to some tiny PPM, we are all drinking Tiny Tim's pee. Tiptoe through THAT, people..

[One_Life_To_Give]

4. Already do!

Think of the Mississippi and many other rivers throughout the US and the world. Cities and towns up and down the river take their drinking water from and put their wastes back into these rivers.

[TZ]

6. Some places may have to do this.

IIRC, Queensland Australia is in such a dire water situation that they will soon be recycling their waste water into drinking water..All places actually treat their waste water to be good enough to drink technically..its just not something most people are comfortable with.

[raccoon]

7. well, you could pour or excrete it on graves of people you didn't like. nt