Renewed: The Journey to Safe Drinking Water Video Transcript

Water. We all know how essential it is when itÕs in our hands.
When we're putting it to use in our daily lives.
But where does it come from? And where does it go after we use it?

Technically speaking, water doesnÕt really come from or go anywhere.
All the water that has ever existed on Earth is still here.
Nature knows that water is too precious to use just once.

Every drop of water has been on an incredible journey...
used, recycled, and reused millions of times for billions of years.
Even the clearest, most pristine drop of water was once something else entirely...
ItÕs hard to believe, but this is exactly how nature works...
using, reclaiming, and purifying water in an endless, sustainable cycle.
Essentially that meansÉall water, yes all water, is recycled.

For thousands of years, humans have followed natureÕs lead, developing ways to speed up and improve the purification process.
From ancient sand filters to todayÕs advanced purification technology, weÕve continued refining how we clean and reuse water safely.

HereÕs the reality: weÕre not getting any more water.
Yet, the demand for clean, reliable water keeps growing.
Our changing climate is creating more water-stressed regions where bringing water from hundreds of miles away is a less reliable option, and a natural disaster could cripple water delivery systems.

And a natural disaster could cripple water delivery systems.

This means, communities across the world need sustainable ways to secure safe water.
Water suitable for many different purposes such as drinking, bathing, and growing food.
Because every drop of water has value, even wastewater, which is technically just water we've already used, can be cleaned and purified to remove everything from microscopic particles to chemical traces; protecting our health, dignity, and safety.

By following natureÕs example and using advanced purification technology, we can now clean water so thoroughly that it can safely return to our taps, ready to drink once again.

This process uses multiple, proven stages of purification, such as:
Microfiltration, which removes suspended solids and bacteria;
Reverse osmosis, which filters out dissolved salts and trace contaminants; and
Ultraviolet light and advanced oxidation, which destroy any remaining contaminants.

There are two main ways communities use these technologies:
Direct potable reuse or DPR systems offer a fully contained, continuously monitored system that purifies and returns water directly to our drinking supply.
Indirect Potable Reuse or IPR purifies the water before sending it to natural systems like groundwater basins or reservoirs, blending with other sources before being used and treated again.

Either way, the result is water as pure as, or even purer than, what nature provides.
ItÕs a complete cycle: water used, reclaimed, cleaned, purified, and renewedÑready to sustain life all over again.

This is not the future of waterÑitÕs happening now.

In many parts of the country and the world, we already drink purified, recycled water every dayÑsafely, confidently, and sustainably.

Every drop matters. Because you and the environment matter.

A future where everyone has access to pure, reliable water is a future where we can all thrive, and where every precious drop continues to give life, again and again.