What is wastewater agriculture?
In areas where clean drinking water is scarce, bacterial diseases like cholera can affect huge numbers of people. More than 2 million people die annually from cholera and other diarrhea-related conditions, most of them people who live in extremely poor areas of developing countries [source: Eichenseher]. It’s hard to imagine these types of water-quality problems crossing borders into the developed world. Most developed countries have stringent water-quality standards, and they’ve implemented sophisticated treatment systems to meet them. But a study regarding global farming practices has shown that the water problems affecting the very poor might end up affecting everybody. Up Next • Does fertilizer help or hurt my lawn? • How Composting Works • TreeHugger.com: Water Treatment Projects • Curiosity Project: How could agricultural biotechnology help people who need food? Treating dirty water, whether it comes from sewage lines or a chemically polluted lake, costs a relative fortune. If
