When:     7:00 pm, Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Where:    Harned Hall, Saint Martin’s University, 5300 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacey, Washington

Our topic for February is Reclaimed Water and Groundwater Infiltration: How Wastewater Becomes a Resource

This presentation will offer an overview of the LOTT reclaimed water and groundwater infiltration program, reclaimed water quality, how recharge sites are evaluated and selected, the design and function of engineered recharge basins, soil aquifer treatment, and relationship to constituents of emerging concern. To assure protection of local groundwater supplies, LOTT is about to begin a 4-year Groundwater Recharge Scientific Study. With continually increasing public and regulatory scrutiny, one of the key study objectives is to quantify the efficacy of soil aquifer treatment to limit fate and transport of pollutants, including constituents of emerging concern. Plans for initiating the scientific study will be discussed, including opportunities for participation in the scoping process for the study.

In 2005, the LOTT Clean Water Alliance began treating a portion of the local Lacey-Olympia-Tumwater wastewater flows to Class A Reclaimed Water quality.  Class A is the highest quality of reclaimed water in Washington state, as defined and permitted by the State Departments of Ecology and Health. It is safe for public contact and suitable for a wide variety of community uses.  LOTT currently has two reclaimed water plants in operation. Ultimately, the utility’s long-range Wastewater Resource Management Plan envisions two additional satellite plants. Water not used for irrigation or other purposes will be used for groundwater infiltration, recharging groundwater supplies. LOTT currently has one groundwater infiltration site in operation in the Hawks Prairie area and has purchased properties for future basins in four other areas.

Presenters include Karla Fowler, LOTT’s Community Relations and Environmental Policy Director, and Jon Turk, Principal Hydrogeologist with Brown and Caldwell.  Ben McConkey, LOTT’s Public Facilities Coordinator and former Operations Supervisor, will also be participating.  Brown and Caldwell designed both of LOTT’s reclaimed water systems and recently completed a 5-year study of groundwater recharge and reclaimed water conveyance alternatives for LOTT. LOTT is the wastewater utility that serves the urban area of north Thurston County, including the cities of Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater and their urban growth areas.