We really should have been thinking about this, oh, say 10 years ago!
Here, in "forward looking" Sussex county, the city of Rehoboth Beach is under a Federal Court order to stop dumping their poorly treated sewage into the canal or Rehoboth Bay.
Local officials are pointing out that our rapid development is about to tap-out our local aquifers.
The city fathers are considering:
A. Ocean Outfall - Building a great big pipe that extends from Rehoboth Beach 9000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean through which they will discharge the treated waste water.
B. Spray Irrigation - recycling treated waste-water onto leased vacant land, farmlands raising feed-stock, golf courses, etc. - and consequently, recharging the aquifer.
Since A is arguably cheaper - they will probably opt for the sewer to the ocean solution (and maybe require all new residents to import their water from China?)
Note: the very elements like nitrogen and phosphorus that make the waste water deadly to the Bay, are beneficial to the farmland, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, whose run-off also poisons the inland waters.
der Brucer
Note these ae the same folks who don't want off-shore wind farms because they pollute the view, and want the required additional electricity to be imported from Maryland coal fired electric plants (nevermind that the state is refusing permission to the utilities to build more transmission lines through the state).
You can imagine the looks I get wen I suggest that our coast would be an ideal spot for a nuclear power plant.
