Agenda - 04-29-2004-2a - Laserfiche WebLink

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OWASA AND UNC- CHAPEL HILL PROJECT BRIEF: PLANNED WATER REUSE SYS'T'EM Background Orange Water and Sewer Authority ( OWASA) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (the University) plan to jointly develop a new water reclamation and reuse system that will provide many important benefits to the community and the environment Highly treated "reclaimed" water from OWASA's Mason Farm Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) would initially be used to meet some of the major nonpotable (non - drinking) water demands on the University's main campus. The reuse system will be expandable to serve other OWASA customers in the future where it is practical to do so. The reclaimed water system would be financially self - supporting, and the University would pay its full and fair share of the cost of reclaimed water service. The proposed use of reclaimed water demonstrates OWASA's and the University's shared commitment to meeting long -term water and sewer service needs in a more sustainable manner. OWASA and the University partnered on a recent study to determine the feasibility of water reuse Based on the findings of the Water Reclamation and Reuse Feasibility Study (Hazen and Sawyer, June 2003) and extensive follow - up pilot studies, OWASA and the University have determined that it is technically, economically, and environmentally feasible to use reclaimed water to meet many nonpotable water needs on the main campus. When completed, the reclaimed water system would be the largest and most diverse water reuse system in the State. What Are the Strategic Benefits of Water Reuse? Water reuse offers many important benefits to the Carrboro — Chapel Hill community, the University, and the environment The use of reclaimed water will: • Allow OWASA to meet nonpotable water needs in a cost - effective manner while freeing up the community's valuable drinking water supply and treatment capacities to meet essential needs; • Lower the risk for all customers during water shortages caused by future droughts; • Optimize use of locally - controlled renewable resources; • Defer or eliminate the need for certain long -term capital improvements due to reduced demand for potable water; • Defer or eliminate the need to develop costly facilities necessary to obtain water from Jordan Lake; and • Reduce the discharge of pollutants to streams April 2004 What Are the Key Conclusions From the Studv? Key findings of the water reuse feasibility study are: • Effluent from OWASA's WWTP will consistently and reliably meet the State's reclaimed water standards; • With additional on -site treatment by the University, reclaimed water from OWASA will be suitable for use in the University's cooling tower and boiler operations It can also be used for irrigation and toilet flushing; • The University's on -site water treatment costs will increase (perhaps by up to 50 percent) if reclaimed water' is used in the cooling towers and boilers; and • Developing a reclaimed water system is more cost - effective than developing the facilities needed to withdraw and use water from Jordan Lake. Tl+e high grrallty effluent front the Mason Far °n+ GIIVTP skorrld no longer be viewed as rvastervuter. It wi!! be ar+ increasingly vahrable source of rvater for the firtrtre. What Are the Projected Capital Costs? The system will include a reclaimed water pump station and storage tank at OWASA's WWTP and up to five miles of new reclaimed water lines (see schematic on the last page).. The first phase of the system will serve the southern part of the campus and cost about $8 million to build At startup, the initial reclaimed water demand will be about 0.5 to 0.75 million gallons per day (mgd), which is around 5 to 7 percent of OWASA's projected total water demands in 2007 In later phases, reclaimed water lines will be extended to serve the northern part of the campus. By 2026 the demand for reclaimed water is projected to be 2 8 mgd, or about 15 percent of the projected total water demand. What Are the Next Steps? In February 2004 OWASA and the University approved a Letter of Understanding that sets forth the guiding principles and general framework for developing, operating, and financing the planned water reuse system. The goal is to have the system in operation by July 1, 2007, A more detailed contract will be developed in the coming months. Extensive engineering services will be required to complete the final design and manage construction of the reclaimed water system. OWASA is pursuing supplemental Federal and State grant funding for the project. To reduce project costs and construction impacts, the University will install some reclaimed water lines in conjunction with campus construction projects. The first section of the reclaimed water distribution system will soon be under construction as part of the new utility tunnel currently under construction on the south side of campus.