Cleansing sewage essential to fresh water supply

In Washington, this year we hope to again escape the historic droughts plaguing other parts of the world. The Columbia River water system flowed at normal levels in recent years which is good for our agriculture, hydropower generation, barging, local water supplies, and fish and wildlife.

However, 20 years ago we faced the same severe drought that is afflicting the world’s major river drainages including the Colorado River. That water scarcity forced factories to close, farmland to remain fallow, and crops to perish.

We must remember that the same water scarcity is likely to happen again in th...