San Francisco, CA – Aaron Tartakovsky, CEO of Epic Cleantec, is enjoying a refreshing beer that, at first glance, appears no different from its counterparts. However, this brew features a distinctive ingredient: recycled wastewater sourced from a San Francisco skyscraper.
This innovative beverage serves a dual purpose: quenching thirst and raising awareness about the untapped potential of water sources that might initially seem unappealing. This endeavor is particularly relevant at a time when the American West grapples with chronic drought exacerbated by global warming, as explained by Tartakovsky.
Tartakovsky, the head of the recycling company Epic Cleantec, emphasized that beer has been uniting people since the dawn of human civilization. He believes it offers an exceptional platform to engage the public in recognizing the value of recycled water in an era marked by climate change. By doing so, he aims to ensure the long-term security of our communities.
The beer’s water component is derived from the showers, sinks, and washing machines within a San Francisco apartment building comprising 550 homes. Epic Cleantec has set up a wastewater treatment system in the building’s basement, efficiently recycling a substantial portion of the water. This reclaimed water is then reintroduced to the 40 floors above for purposes such as flushing toilets or irrigation.
It’s worth noting that California law currently prohibits redirecting treated wastewater to taps for drinking. Nonetheless, initiatives like “Wastewater Beer” are shedding light on innovative approaches to water sustainability and encouraging communities to explore unconventional water sources to address the ongoing drought challenges in the American West.
