Photograph, Dr. Mike Aitken

The Groundwater Replenishment System project, which began operating in California in January 2008, recycles water from sewage and uses it to replenish underground reservoirs. More than 2.1 trillion gallons of water in the U.S. are flushed down toilets every year, and the project hopes to curb the waste.

In the article, Aitken predicts that water recycling will become increasingly important around the country. The California project is "the gold standard for how to do it right," Aitken says.

The Discover article is available online.

School of Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.