Environmental Programs: Reuse Water
Reuse water is a result of advanced treatment of wastewater at both the City's wastewater and water treatment plants. Reuse water is wastewater that has been treated to meet stringent reuse water quality standards. Although reuse water quality is maintained at a high level, it is not intended for human consumption. The City is currently the largest consumer of recycled wastewater which occurs at the City's Neuse River Wastewater Treatment plant and the Wrenn Road spray irrigation facility located in the Garner service area. These facilities use this treated wastewater to assimilate nutrients while growing agricultural crops and forest products.
The City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department offers high quality reuse water to citizens for irrigation purposes and other non-potable needs. The reuse water is available in bulk to customers. They can get the reuse water at the City's Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 8500 Battle Bridge Road in Raleigh; the Smith Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant at 8505 Ligon Mill Road in Wake Forest; the Little Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant at 1419 N.C. 39 South in Zebulon; or the E.M. Johnson Water Treatment Plant at 10301 Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh. Customers must undergo training from the City before they can haul the reuse water from the plant.
Reuse water is made available for bulk pickup by truck drivers following training in accordance with North Carolina Division of Water Quality (DWQ) permit requirements. The trucks used to transport the reuse water are inspected. City staff conducts training classes and truck inspections. Attendees must schedule their classes at least 48 hours in advance by contacting Marti Gibson of the Public Utilities Department at 919-250-7826. After the driver training session, the tanker trucks are inspected and proper signage applied. The truck driver may then load the truck with reuse water.
There is no limit to the amount of reuse water that will be made available to customers. Customers may haul and apply as much as they want provided it is used properly. The high quality reuse water is available to citizens Monday through Friday at the four listed plants. People interested in receiving bulk reuse water can any of the plants for distribution schedule and availability.
Reuse water has been approved by the State of North Carolina for the following applications:
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Landscape irrigation of residential lawns, golf courses, parks, landscape areas, and other public, industrial, or commercial grounds;
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Street sweeping;
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Vehicle washing at construction sites and automatic car washes with drains to the sanitary sewer. No steam cleaning, engine or parts washing;
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Sewer line flushing;
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Decorative ponds and fountains that do NOT have a drain to surface waters; Customers must display permanent weatherproof signage;
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General construction purposes such as soil compaction, dust control, concrete mixing and asphalt reclamation;
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General power washing for buildings, equipment and automobiles when dual barrier disinfection is provided; and,
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Pesticide and fertilizer application.
In addition to bulk reuse water, the City of Raleigh's Little Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant located in the Zebulon service area produces reuse water and distributes this water to several customers, including Five County Stadium for irrigating the Carolina Mudcats' baseball field and common areas and for chiller water for U.S. Foods’ distribution warehouse. The City of Raleigh also has completed a reuse water master plan that identifies reuse water markets within the City's service area and identifies possible methods to serve these areas. The first phase of the master plan extends reuse water mains from the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant to areas in east and central Raleigh with a new elevated storage tank in east Raleigh on Sunnybrook Road. Identified users include the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek (formerly the Walnut Creek Amphitheater), Walnut Creek Softball Complex, Raleigh Country Club golf course, and the new Centennial Campus golf course. This phase is currently under design and is expected to be in service by December 2009.
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