Wastewater beer - 1st December 2023

There isn't much water in California. It isn't raining. But two companies are trying to fix the problem. They're using new technology in buildings. It makes wastewater safe to drink. They're using this water to make beer. The director of Epic Cleantec, Aaron Tartakovsky, says the beer is 100 percent safe. It tastes good.

Aaron Tartakovsky: "It tastes like a nice, crisp, Kölsch style ale. You'd have no idea the source of the water. It's just nice, pristine drinking water and it's a fantastic beer. And I'm going to drink another sip."

First, wastewater from a building goes through a filter. Then, UV light and chlorine kill the bacteria. After that, most of the clean water returns to the building.

But some of the water goes to Devil's Canyon Brewery. This company makes beer with the water. Brewery owner Chris Garrett was surprised by the idea. Now, he thinks it's an excellent idea.

Chris Garrett: "When Aaron reached out to us at first we were a little set aside, and we were like, well what are people kind of think? And then the more we thought about it, it made a whole lot of sense. And we, we have to make a change today. We're running out of water and we need to find a way to incorporate that into every day and things like beer."

Many Americans don't want to drink recycled water. In California, you can't sell beer with wastewater in it. The two companies are giving people free beers.

But California needs water. Now, the government wants companies to use the new technology. Tartakovsky says people are starting to feel OK about recycled water.

Aaron Tartakovsky: "When I first entered the industry, a lot of people said that the public is just not ready for recycled water, that public perception is too difficult for people to overcome. And I think what our beer project has showed people is that the public is a lot more ready for recycled water than we give them credit for."