News Campus and Community Reclaimed water system goes into operation
| Reclaimed water system goes into operation |
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| Wednesday, May 06, 2009 | |
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Joint Release The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and OWASA announced Wednesday that the recently constructed reclaimed water system serving facilities on the University’s main campus is now in operation. Reclaimed water is being used in the cooling towers at the Gary R. Tomkins Chilled Water Operations Center and the South Chiller Plant, which are south of Manning Drive near the hospital parking decks. The reclaimed water system provides non-potable water which has received advanced treatment at OWASA’s Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) including filtration and disinfection with ultraviolet light and chlorine. The new system will enable the University to reduce its use of drinking water for make-up water at cooling towers by about 660,000 gallons per day in Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010). That equals about 9% of the overall Chapel Hill-Carrboro community’s drinking water demand and about 30% of UNC’s demand. In the future, the University’s reclaimed water use could rise to 1.5 to 2 million gallons per day or more, and supply 10 to 15% of the community’s total water needs. “It is a joy to see the reclaimed water system in operation after 6 years of effort by UNC and OWASA following the 2002 drought. We value our effective partnership with OWASA and are pleased to be a part of this project that benefits the entire community,” said Carolyn Elfland, Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Services. The University also plans to extend the reclaimed water system in the near future to serve additional cooling tower, toilet flushing, and irrigation needs on the main campus. “Using reclaimed water will reduce our community’s risks during droughts and other water shortages, and help defer the need for future expansions of drinking water system capacity, which would cost several million dollars,” said Randy Kabrick, P.E., Chair of the OWASA Board of Directors. “Reclaimed water use will also help reduce the energy required to meet the University’s water needs, thereby helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Daniel Arneman, the University’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Specialist. The University paid to build the reclaimed water system, excluding State and Federal grants received for the project. To date, the University’s total system investment is over $10 million. OWASA received $1.6 million in grant funds from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund to pay for engineering design and permitting costs. OWASA also received $625,500 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help pay for construction of the system. As the only current user of the reclaimed water system, the University will pay for all operating, maintenance and administrative costs of reclaimed water service. ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION How is reclaimed water treated, regulated, and monitored? After the regular wastewater treatment process, OWASA’s reclaimed water is disinfected with ultraviolet light, which is very effective in killing pathogens. Chlorine is added to further disinfect reclaimed water and minimize the potential for regrowth in the reclaimed water system. Reclaimed water production and use is regulated by the NC Division of Water Quality. OWASA monitors the quality of its reclaimed water in accord with State standards for testing and various water quality criteria. The system includes automatic monitors that enable OWASA and the University to control the quality of reclaimed water. The color of reuse pipes, valves, and meters differs from those in the drinking water system. Reuse pipes, valves and meters are marked and labeled in accord with State requirements. At facilities where reclaimed water is in use, signs are posted and employees have been trained. Is the Reclaimed Water System safe? Yes. Dr. Mark Sobsey of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a nationally-recognized expert in environmental microbiology who specializes in water, wastewater, and reclaimed water, evaluated the potential for public health risks from the reclaimed water system. He concluded that with the planned treatment system, “pathogens will be reduced to negligible levels in OWASA reclaimed water and there will be no realistic opportunity for human exposure to pathogens from the beneficial uses of the reclaimed wastewater.” Dr. Sobsey also stated that: “The highly effective performance of the proposed OWASA water reclamation system treatment train of biological denitrification, UV [ultraviolet light] irradiation and free chlorine disinfection in reducing fecal indicator microbes, provides a scientifically sound basis for recommending that the [then] proposed water reclamation facility be implemented.” How will the University’s reclaimed water use benefit our community? Using reclaimed water will:
The initial system includes a 600,000 gallon storage tank, a pump station that can deliver about 4 million gallons of reclaimed water each day, a monitoring and chemical addition system, and more than three miles of pipelines from 6 to 24 inches in diameter. Can the reclaimed water system be expanded to serve other customers? Yes. The system has been sized to accommodate growth of the system. While the reclaimed water lines now serve University facilities, they may be extended in the future to serve other customers on a case-by-case basis where economically feasible. OWASA will evaluate such opportunities once it gains experience with the system and only after it is certain the University’s reclaimed water needs are fully being met. Will reclaimed water use affect OWASA’s drinking water revenues? Like other kinds of water conservation, reclaimed water use reduces drinking water sales and revenues. Based on the estimated initial reclaimed water demand of 660,000 gallons per day, OWASA projects that drinking water revenue will initially decline by a net of about $1.1 million per year. This requires an offsetting increase in drinking water rates, which OWASA has made in FY 2009 and will do again in FY 2010. The long-term effect on OWASA’s rates will depend on factors such as how much OWASA can offset the reduction in drinking water revenue by cost reduction and deferrals of capital projects. Is reclaimed water a new approach? No. Reclaimed water is used in nearly 2,000 communities in the U.S. Most reclaimed water systems are in Florida, California and other parts of the arid southwest. The use of reclaimed water is increasing in order to meet water supply needs in a more sustainable way. In North Carolina, the Town of Cary, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities District, Johnston County, Town of Zebulon and Town of Sanford are among the communities that have reclaimed water systems. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For OWASA: Damon Forney, OWASA’s Wastewater Treatment and Biosolids Recycling Manager, telephone: 537-4352; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it For the University: Raymond E. DuBose, Director of Energy Services, telephone: 966-4100; Sally Hoyt, P.E., Stormwater Systems Engineer, Energy Services – Non-potable Water, telephone: 843-8800; e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it OWASA: A public, non-profit agency providing water, sewer and reclaimed water services to the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community. 400 Jones Ferry Road, Carrboro, NC 27510 phone: (919) 968-4421; fax: 968-4464 |
