As you might have heard, climate change is causing glaciers to melt like ice cubes. California gets about 60 percent of its water from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Knowing this, the decision makers of Los Angeles aren't sitting on their hands, like other large cities have done, but are forming a comprehensive water plan to deal with the inevitable water shortage.

And part of the plan involves re-using toilet water.

Proposed by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the plan would make permanent some of the restrictions residents faced during droughts in the last decade, such as only being able to water your lawn on certain days and no hosing down driveways and sidewalks. In addition, new building codes would ensure that the most water efficient appliances are installed in new homes, among other efforts.

As you might expect, the most controversial part of the plan is recycling wastewater, which opponents have lovingly branded, "toilet-to-tap" water. Although the alliteration sounds nice, it's a glib way to label the situation. As a spokesperson for the Mayor explained, "We are drinking the same water the dinosaurs drank. All our water has been and is being recycled."

Reclaimed water is common across the country, from Florida to Arizona. For people grossed out at the idea of drinking treated wastewater, we'd like to remind you that fish, among other animals, did their business in your water before it reached your local water utility. Drink up!