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Beyond the source: the environmental, economic and community benefits of source water protection

Wastewater is a resource that is too valuable to throw away, especially in an increasingly water-scarce world. Wastewater from large cities is often pumped directly into rivers or seas without treatment, leading to pollution and posing a threat to the health of ecosystems and people. But under the right conditions, wastewater can be recycled for agriculture, irrigation or industry, all of which tend to use huge quantities of the stuff. A new report by The Nature Conservancy, Beyond the Source: The environmental, economic and community benefits of source water protection, says that for one in six of the 4,000 cities analysed, the cost of implementing source water protection activities, such as forest protection, reforestation and the use of cover crops, could be recouped through savings in annual water treatment costs alone.

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