Recycled Water

 


Recycled Water FAQs

Safety & Benefits
Production & Application
Environmental Protection
Regulatory Compliance
 Recycled Water Classes & Uses
 Investment Costs
 Information & Links

Safety & Benefits

What is recycled water?
Water is continually recycled in nature through the water cycle. The water we use every day is as old as the Earth itself.  Modern wastewater treatment replicates the natural recycling process to restore large quantities of water used by communities – quickly and effectively.

Recycled water is cleaned and disinfected wastewater restored for beneficial use.  Recycled water is clear, safe, and treated to strict standards.  It is a valuable, sustainable resource that matches water quality to specific needs.  Every gallon of recycled water used for irrigation, industrial processes, wetland restoration and other beneficial uses potentially can conserve a gallon of our community’s water resources.

Is recycled water safe?
Yes.  Recycled water is a safe way to preserve our natural water resources.  Recycled water is used for specific purposes in a manner protective of human health, animal welfare, and the natural environment.  Recycled water is as clean as – or cleaner than – water restored to the quality necessary for returning to the Willamette River.

Recycled water projects also are designed and operated to protect public health and the environment. Careful monitoring ensures that the MWMC produces a highly treated and disinfected product that meets all regulatory requirements.

How is recycled water tested?
Similar to drinking water testing, samples of recycled water are periodically drawn and tested for qualities like clarity and presence of bacteria.  The frequency and types of tests performed depend on the water quality demands for each use of water.  For drinking water, testing is performed to ensure water is safe to drink.  For recycled water, testing is performed to ensure the water is safe for irrigation, washing cars, or other specific uses.

Why should we recycle water?
Across the country and around the globe, people recycle water for the same reasons they recycle other materials:  to make more efficient use of a precious resource.  Together, the MWMC and the greater community may both benefit from expanding uses of recycled water.

What are the potential benefits of recycling water?
The MWMC has already realized several benefits from recycling water at the wastewater facilities.  Watering landscaping with recycled water instead of drinking water saves money. Watering the Biocycle Farm poplar tree plantation with recycled water preserves a limited well water supply.  And both of those uses help reduce the temperature impacts of discharging warmer cleaned water into the Willamette River.

Water recycling has many other potential benefits.  Recycled water can conserve drinking water where drinking quality water is not necessary, including agricultural and industrial uses. Recycling water also reduces the amount of potentially warmer water returned to the river by the wastewater treatment plant. This helps the MWMC maintain regulatory compliance by reducing temperature impacts on the Willamette River.  Recycled water can contribute to a secure water supply for our community. Recycled water could even be delivered for a fee to offset program costs.   At the same time, using recycled water could help local businesses save money and meet sustainability goals.

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Production & Application

How is recycled water produced?
Wastewater arriving at the treatment plant is over 99 percent water!  The treatment process removes most of the waste products that are carried by the water – less than 1 percent of the wastewater –producing recycled water. 

How does this happen?  First, wastewater passes through bar screens and grit chambers that remove large objects like gravel, rags, sticks, and even sand.  Next, solids and organic materials are removed through processes called clarification (the settling out of solids from wastewater resulting in much clearer water) and oxidation/aeration (the injection of air bubbles to increase the amount of oxygen in the water to promote natural biological consumption of organic matter).  At this point, the water is nearly clean enough (needing only the final step of disinfection) to return to the Willamette River. The water is now over 99.9% pure – containing just minor amounts of particles, and when disinfected, is the basic class of recycled water, suitable for non-food crop farming use.

To produce the highest quality of recycled water, the water is then ultra-cleaned through a filter to remove the finest particles from the water. Then, all of the MWMC’s recycled water is disinfected by adding chlorine – similar to the way public drinking water and swimming pools are disinfected. Then recycled water is ready to be used for irrigation, or industrial, construction or other approved uses.

  Produing Recycled Water
Schedule a tour of our facility to see the processs for yourself! Contact Rachael Chilton, Public Information & Education Specialist, at 541.726.3695 or email rchilton@springfield-or.gov

How is the MWMC currently using recycled water? 
The MWMC produces recycled water as part of its high-quality wastewater treatment process. Currently, this recycled water is used to irrigate landscaping at the MWMC’s facilities and at its Biocycle Farm poplar tree plantation.  The recycled water is also used for cooling and operation of the MWMC’s treatment process equipment.  The MWMC recycles about 50 million gallons of water annually – or about two full days worth of our community’s cleaned wastewater. We have a great capacity to supply more recycled water for community use!

What are the MWMC’s plans for using recycled water in the future?
In the future, the MWMC may use more recycled water for agricultural irrigation at its  Beneficial Reuse Site.  Recycled water could replace the water sources currently used by local sand and gravel companies for gravel washing, concrete mixing, dust control, and equipment washing.  The MWMC could easily convey recycled water to sand and gravel companies near the wastewater treatment facility by completing a short pipeline.
Any new recycled water uses will reflect community needs and values.  It’s important to the MWMC to engage stakeholders early to ensure that we use this resource in a way that is the best fit with our community.  We want to find out what the community thinks about recycled water possibilities.  Potential future uses could include increasing the amount of recycled water used at the MWMC’s facilities, or extending recycled water use to the MWMC’s neighbors in agriculture, sand and gravel, and other industrial operations.  

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Environmental Protection

How does recycling water benefit the environment?
Protecting human health and the environment is the MWMC’s first and foremost consideration.  We ensure that all water we process from the Eugene/Springfield community is returned to the Willamette River as clean and healthy for recreation and for salmon and other aquatic species.  Water recycling provides additional benefits.   One way to enhance Willamette River water quality is to keep as much naturally cooler source water as possible in the river.   These naturally cooler water sources include mountain streams and stored groundwater that contributes to summer time river flows.   Using recycled water instead of river water or groundwater for irrigation or other uses helps retain natural, cooler, water flows in the river.  Recycling water also reduces the amount of potentially warmer water returned to the river by the wastewater treatment plant.  Likewise, by using recycled water instead of well water, the potential of over-pumping our groundwater supplies can also be reduced.

What happens to cleaned wastewater now?
Most of the cleaned wastewater that is used by the Eugene/Springfield community is returned to the Willamette River near the Randy Pape’ Beltline crossing. To ensure an even flow back to the river, the water flows through a perforated pipe, called a diffuser, embedded in the bottom of the river. From there, the water mixes with and returns to the river’s natural water cycle – where it will seep into the ground, flow on to the Pacific Ocean, or even be withdrawn for irrigation and drinking water supplies by downstream users.

Is returning our treated wastewater flow back to the river a good thing?
Ensuring the Willamette River has adequate flow and good water quality is an ongoing objective of Oregon’s water management agencies.  Just 50 years ago, some communities were still discharging untreated sewage into the Willamette River.  Since the efforts led by past Oregon governor Tom McCall to clean up the Willamette in the late 1960’s and the subsequent  passage of the federal Clean Water Act and other water quality regulations that protect the environment, communities are doing more to protect water quality. Our present-day wastewater treatment plants ensure that water restored to the river is clean and healthy. 

We are learning there is still more we can do to improve our water resources.  For example, minor changes in temperature along the Willamette River can result in areas of the river that become too warm for salmon and other sensitive aquatic species.  These temperature impacts are compounded by loss of floodplain habitat, urban and agricultural warm water runoff, warmer treated wastewater flows, and withdrawals of cooler water from the river for human use.  What if we could provide more water for communities and protect our rivers at the same time by recycling the water we have already used?

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Regulatory Compliance

Who regulates recycled water?
All recycled water use is regulated and registered by the State of Oregon through the Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Water Resources Department. The Department of Human Services also reviews plans for use of Class C and D recycled water uses to ensure the protection of public health. Oregon’s recycled water use rules are covered by Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 340 Division 55.

How does recycled water fit with our wastewater regulatory requirements and discharge permit?
Recycling water is a strategy for regulatory compliance recognized by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality – the agency that issues permits to wastewater treatment facilities.  Currently, most of the treated, cleaned water the MWMC produces is returned to the Willamette River as a regulated discharge. 

Recycling water helps the MWMC meet environmental regulations, and it is recognized as a sound strategy by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality – the agency that issues permits to wastewater treatment facilities.  Currently, most of the treated, cleaned water that the MWMC produces is returned to the Willamette River.   As we learn more about the river, regulatory restrictions are increasing.   These restrictions require the MWMC to continue to adapt its practices to meet requirements.

For example, the MWMC faces limitations on temperature that affects the Willamette River’s water quality.  Since wastewater is warmer than river water, river temperatures are impacted by the amount of cleaned wastewater that we discharge into the river.  Recycling water diverts a portion of our cleaned wastewater for reuse on land – reducing the amount of cleaned wastewater returned to the river and keeping the Willamette River cooler.

How is the public notified that recycled water is being used?
At a minimum, members of the public will notice signs indicating the use of recycled water at sites of use, and see purple-colored piping, spigots, or sprinkler heads.  Nationally, all recycled water piping is marked or painted purple.  Signs inform people that the water in use is not for drinking.  In Oregon, all recycled water producers operate under permit and a Recycled Water Use Plan filed with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Water Resources Department.

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Recycled Water Classes & Uses

How is recycled water classified?  What are the uses for each class of recycled water?
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality regulates recycled water under strict treatment standards and permitting requirements.  Under Oregon rules, recycled water is classified as Class A, Class B, Class C, or Class D based on its intended use and level of treatment.  Each class requires consistent testing and monitoring for water quality. 

Is Recycled Water Drinkable?
No – recycled water does not go through the same level of treatment and testing done on drinking water supplies.  In fact, one of the benefits of recycling water is to reduce use of drinking quality water when it’s not needed.  Oregon’s regulations have no class of direct potable reuse – recycling water for drinking water – but “indirect” use is permissible.  Indirect use allows for recycled water to replenish drinking water aquifers, much the same way rainwater and streams do naturally.  However, in Eugene/Springfield, recycled water is only being considered for uses such as agricultural, commercial, and industrial applications.

Where is recycled water being used?
Recycled water use has been steadily growing in the United States since the first planned urban uses were implemented in the 1960’s in California, Colorado, and Florida.  Earlier, recycled water was used at the Grand Canyon National Park for toilet flushing and lawn sprinkling (installed in 1926) and at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for irrigation and ornamental ponds (started in 1932). 

Recycled water has a variety of agricultural, industrial, commercial, institutional, environmental, and recreational uses.  In Oregon alone, recycled water is in use in over 70 communities, including at over a dozen golf courses.  The Oregon Gardens in Silverton thrive with recycled water further purified for irrigation use through a series of wetlands.  Numerous U.S. cities have installed dedicated recycled water piping systems for landscape irrigation.  Recycled water makes San Antonio’s famed Riverwalk canal possible, providing almost all of the water flow in the dry months.  Elsewhere in the northwest, Olympia, Washington uses recycled water for many purposes, including restoring wetlands, landscape irrigation, and toilet flushing.

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Investment Costs

What are the costs associated with recycled water?
At the MWMC, project costs and benefits are always carefully considered before any new projects are implemented. Several years ago, the MWMC budgeted an initial $15 million for recycled water projects to be potentially implemented over a 5-year period. However, the MWMC has not specified any recycled water projects to date.  Any new projects will be approached very conservatively before any money is spent to ensure the right project at the right cost at the right time.

How would recycled water projects be funded?
Much of the MWMC’s revenues come from ratepayer support.  When facility improvements are needed, the MWMC leverages ratepayer support by securing bonds and low-interest state loans for long-term projects. These bonds and loans are paid back over many years (typically 20) spreading the cost of the investments out among present and future users.  Since meeting regulatory compliance with water recycling is part of the MWMC’s current facilities budget, no additional funding is needed to complete potential projects. 

Additionally, since recycled water projects offer sustainability benefits, they can attract outside funding sources, such as grants for water quality and environmental improvements.  Ideally, future partnerships would be formed to fund projects that provide recycled water to users for a fee to offset costs.  Fee-based programs are already common in California and other parts of the U.S.

Would recycled water projects require additional infrastructure? 
The MWMC currently diverts only a small percentage of its total flow for recycled water uses, but virtually all of its cleaned wastewater could be recycled now!  The treatment plant cleans 25 to 50 million gallons of the community’s wastewater each day. The MWMC’s basic water stream is rated Class D – appropriate for uses such as hayfield or woodlot irrigation. Higher classes of recycled water could be produced with some disinfection system modifications. Currently, the MWMC could produce up to 10 million gallons per day of Class A recycled water –  the purest class of recycled water available in Oregon.

The MWMC’s existing pipelines transport recycled water from the treatment plant on River Avenue approximately 6 miles away to the Biocycle Farm.  Potential uses for recycled water along the pipeline route or adjacent to the treatment plant or Biocycle Farm could require only short “spur” pipelines to deliver water to the sites.  Other potential uses would be more likely to require construction of distribution piping for recycled water delivery.

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Information & Links

Who can I contact to ask about recycled water program planning?
For more information about recycled water, contact Todd Miller, MWMC Project Manager,   541.736.7137 or email tmiller@springfield-or.gov

Where can I find general information about recycled water?
Other excellent sources of information include:

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