What is Reclaimed Water?

1. ACEC Indiana9th Annual EnvironmentalBusiness ConferenceReclaimed Water Lessons learned in North CarolinaSeptember 12, 2013Jon RisgaardNC Division of Water ResourcesAquifer Protection Section

2. What is Reclaimed Water? • Reclaimed water is tertiary treated wastewater that meets specific effluent standards, and is used in a beneficial manner for the purpose of conserving the State’s water resources by reducing the use of a water resource. • Potable water (i.e., water treatment plants) • Surface water (i.e., rivers, lakes and creeks) • Groundwater (i.e., confined and unconfined aquifers)

3. Impacts of Reclaimed Water Systems • Alternative for WW management • Reduced concerns with public health • Reduced setbacks • Increased uses • Reduces the demand for potable water • Reduces demands on WTF operation • Average flow • Summer peak flow • Reduces demands on water resources • Reduces the discharge from WWTF • Reduces impact to surface waters (NPDES) • Increase Potable Water Rates • Reduce available water to downstream users

6. What is not reclaimed water? • Gray water • Water discharged as waste from bathtubs, showers, wash basins, and clothes washers, but not toilets or kitchen sinks.

7. Reclaimed water and other non-discharge Systems

8. Permits Types and Volumes * Permitted Flow

9. 2010 Reclaimed Water Application Delegated programs or facilities with large distribution networks do not report rates for individual application areas. These facilities represent ≈ 643 million gallons or about 1/3 of all of the reclaimed water volume

10. Trivia time! What is the percentage of a St. Louis brewed Budweiser beer that is wastewater effluent from Chicago? • 0% • 0.12% • 1.2% • 12% The answer is C! Every 12 ounce can contains 0.14 ounces of Chicago’s wastewater effluent.

11. Types of uses: Conjunctive • Other permitted means of disposal (e.g. NPDES) • Use is not required for WWTP capacity • User controls when and how much is used • Relaxed application and monitoring requirements • Examples: • Residential irrigation supplied by municipal NPDES generator • Bulk Fill Stations

12. Types of Uses: Non-conjunctive • Use is tied to capacity of the treatment systems • Relied on as part of final disposal option • Generator has control of when and how much is used • Uses must have established irrigation rates • Utilization rates based on beneficial reuse • Soil capacity, agronomic rate, design calculations • Monitoring and reporting are the same as a traditional wastewater irrigation system

13. Design Criteria – Non Conjunctive • Storage (same as other land application) • Final • Reject • Dedicated uses (same as other systems) • Robust system (Same as other systems) • Established Capacity (soils evaluation) • Operator????

14. Why all the Controls? • How can you provide disposal capacity if use is not controlled by the generator? • Residential irrigation? • Industrial cooling water/process water? • Golf Course irrigation? • If you don’t get capacity credit what is the use?

15. Goals of Rulemaking • Satisfy Statutory requirements • Expand uses • Clarify/update conditions • Remove unintended restrictions • Investigate new uses • Provide protection of public health and environment • Balance between increased flexibility and appropriate regulatory requirements

16. Rule Making Milestones • 2007-2008: Rule Making Workgroup • July 2008: S.L. mandates rule making • Sept. 2008: Draft rules approved for public hearing • Nov. 2009: Fiscal Note approved • Mar. 2010: Public Hearings • Nov. 2010: Rules Approved by Commission • June 2011: Rules Effective

17. Rule Changes Overview • Move rules from Non-discharge Rules subchapter to its own subchapter to better identify reclaimed water as a resource • Defined terms • Reclaimed water • Beneficial reuse • Beneficial manner • Streamline application requirements • Expanded permit by rule section • Created 2nd type – high quality • Approved irrigation to food chain crops and wetland augmentation

18. Effluent Standards

19. Nutrient Control 2010 Reclaimed Water Nutrient Data

20. Nutrient Control • Intended uses do not require N and P reduction • Nutrient reduction at NPDES facilities often drives reuse. • TN and TP control often exists at interested WWTF • Potential interaction with SW make Nutrient controls helpful. • Golf courses • Plant nurseries • Distribution line blow-offs • More Effluent standards may result in few restrictions for users.

21. Pathogen Control • All disinfection systems are not the same • Low Fecal does not mean low viruses, cysts, protozoa • New indicators may cause lab issues. • Can you treat RW like Potable Water?

22. Distribution Systems • Quality standards are met prior to distribution • Distribution monitoring plan req’d in permit • Generators responsibility to provide good product • Distributions system challenges • Dead ends • Low flows • Seasonal flows • Managing flushing waters (chlorine, nutrients?)

23. Setbacks Setbacks from uses • 25 feet to Surface waters • 0 ft if <10 mg/l TN and <2 mg/l TP. does not exempt from NPDES permit. • 100 feet to wells Setbacks from storage ponds • 100 ftto public water supply source • 50 ftto surface waters • 100 ftto wells • Setback may be waived by the property owner • 50 ftto property lines • 0 feet to property lines if pond was constructed prior to June 18, 2011 • Setback may be waived by the property owner.

24. Don’t Underestimate the Power of the NPDES Program • Having the regulatory flexibility to discharge small amounts of reclaimed water as part of the permitting program is critical to the success of the program. • Reclaimed program must work closely with NPDES program to ensure that unintended regulatory burdens do not arise.

26. 44,000 gallons Irrigated 45 MGD Discharged

27. Enforcement Guidance for Unpermitted Releases • Clarify expectations for responding to spills or releases.

28. Permitted by regulation • Land application of flushing and hydrostatic test water • Incidental overflow from elevated reclaimed water tanks • Run-off from fire-fighting • Bulk distribution uses

29. Permitted by regulation • Drip irrigation sites that are conjunctive to an onsite wastewater treatment system • Conjunctive irrigation systems on residential lots or commercial lots < 1 acre • Installed by a NC Licensed Irrigation Contractor

30. Permitted by regulation • Conjunctive irrigation of agricultural crops • Includes container nurseries • Does not include food chain crops • Incidental discharges to MS4s

31. Permitting of Users • Permitting is a burden and disincentive to users • Fees • Monitoring? Operator? Reporting? Renewal? • Subject to enforcement • Negative perception • Place permitting responsibility on generator • Familiar with permitting responsibilities • Demonstrate water is safe for use • If users are irresponsible – turn off the water • Maximize coverage of users via permit by reg or general permit.

32. Recent improvement • Simplify reclaimed application forms • Reduced sampling/monitoring requirements (users) • No operator requirements for users • Customized reporting forms • Project submittal meetings

33. Upcoming Changes • Reduce permitting requirements for users • General or deemed permitted status • Eliminate reporting requirements if possible • Put more responsibility on the generator/provider • Expedite permitting for distribution systems

34. Future considerations • Elimination of the prohibition on toilet flushing in residential systems • Developing a laboratory certification for Coliphage and Clostridium perfringens • Hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking) and how it relates to reclaimed water

35. 2014 Potential Legislative Changes • Reduce Hydrogeological evaluation requirements (non-conjunctive systems) • Be open to direct and indirect potable reuse • Allow reclaimed water for residential toilet flush • Provide more flexibility in operator requirements

36. Contact Information Jon Risgaard (919) 807-6458 Jon.Risgaard@ncdenr.gov http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/aps/lau