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That’s why the Army is beginning to recycle water that troops use for showers in Afghanistan. Shower water accounts for 75% of the potable water used at Forward Operating Bases in Afghanistan, and it costs between $5 and $30 a gallon to get it there. So the Army has developed the Shower Water Reuse System, which takes “used” water – but not sewage – and scrubs it clean through a series of filters, membranes and chemicals. A SWRS unit can treat up to 12,000 gallons of water a day and return 75% of it for reuse. Each deployed unit should pay its $170,000 cost well before U.S. troops leave Afghanistan.
Such gear can be a real force multiplier: since water and fuel account for up to 80% by weight of what’s brought in by convoys, eliminating most of the demand for water dramatically cuts down on the number of convoys needed to supply such outposts. That reduces the number of troops needed to protect them, cuts down on IED casualties, and frees up more troops for real, value-added missions. Beyond that, the SWRS will let commanders set up posts where they make the most sense, even if access by road is less than ideal. Why civilians might be squeamish at the prospect, troops appreciate the showers no matter the water’s source. “I never thought to ask,” one vet says.