Reclaimed Water: A New Water Resource for Our Community

For the first time in history, LOTT is sending the water it cleans back out into the community for beneficial use. That's because LOTT's first reclaimed water system became fully operational in 2006, providing a new source of water supply for irrigation and other non-drinking purposes. Preparing for and offering this new service has involved significant effort by staff in all of LOTT's divisions, as well as intense planning and coordination with LOTT's four government partners. Activities have included policy planning, Interlocal Agreements, capital project design and construction, and public communications.

The Right Water for the Right Use

LOTT's reclaimed water is treated to Class A Reclaimed Water standards – water that is clean enough for public contact and almost any use except drinking. It's ideal for many high-demand non-drinking purposes, allowing communities to stretch their water supplies by matching the type of water they use to actual needs. Class A Reclaimed Water can be used for a wide variety of uses, including:

• Irrigation (golf courses, parks, and landscaping)
• Commercial and industrial processes
• Dust suppression
• Decorative fountains and ponds
• Streamflow and wetland enhancement
• Groundwater recharge

Reclaimed Water Distribution

As a wastewater utility, LOTT is not a water purveyor. Instead, the three Cities – Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater – will play that critical role. An inter-agency Reclaimed Water Policies Task Force spent several years identifying and addressing over 40 policy issues related to distribution and use of reclaimed water. Most are resolved through a series of Interlocal, Distribution, Supply and End User Agreements that set the stage for distribution and use of the reclaimed water LOTT will generate. The Agreements strive to offer a regional resource approach while preserving each jurisdiction's operating autonomy. A distribution methodology has been defined to assure that each of the partner jurisdictions will have reasonably equitable access to reclaimed water over time, so they have the assurances they need to begin planning purple pipe infrastructure. (Purple is the color-coding used to identify reclaimed water pipelines and fixtures.)

Reclaimed Water Use

Reclaimed water from the Budd Inlet Treatment Plant is used by several customers in downtown Olympia. The Washington State Department of General Administration (GA) began using reclaimed water for irrigation at the state's Heritage and Marathon Parks in July 2006. GA is also interested in using the water for irrigation of the Capitol Campus. The City of Olympia uses reclaimed water for irrigation of city downtown parks, including Percival Landing parks. Reclaimed water use at the Port of Olympia includes irrigation, marine terminal dust suppression, boat washdown, and a pond. LOTT uses reclaimed water for toilet flushing, irrigation, and the outdoor water feature at the Regional Services Center. LOTT also uses reclaimed water for washdown, processes, and irrigation at the Budd Inlet Treatment Plant.

Public Education

Future reclaimed water facilities will play a significant public education role. Four interpretive kiosks were constructed at the Hawks Prairie Ponds site, which offers walking trails and an attractive park-like setting for showcasing reclaimed water. The Heritage/Marathon Park, Downtown Olympia, and Port of Olympia uses will also provide significant public education opportunities about reclaimed water, in cooperation with the participating state and local governments.