Amy Northam, with the City of Levelland, explains the wastewater treatment process and adds how treated water is used by the Diamond Ethanol plant.

1. Water Reuse
Amy Northam
City of Levelland
Director of Wastewater Services
WATTS Conference
March 22, 2016
P.O. BOX 1010
Levelland, TX 79336
(806) 894-0113 ext. 263
(806) 470-7810 cell
anortham@levellandtexas.org

2. Water is needed for life.
∗ Every creature and plant
on Earth needs water to
survive.
∗ Oceans make up about
97% of the Earth’s water.
∗ Less than 1% is available to
people for consumption,
agriculture, and industry
use.
Feinstein, 2011 p. 9
Water on Earth
Oceans 97% Snow and Glaciers 2%
Fresh Water 3% Rivers, Lakes, Streams 1%

3. Conservation and Water Reuse needed
to promote sustainability.
∗ 2005 US average use per
household is 254 gallons per day
(48,000 MGD).
∗ Installing home water-saving
features, water use would
decrease by 30%.
∗ 2005 US Industry use 162,000
MGD
∗ Switching to closed-loop
recirculation cooling towers
would save 50% or more water
use. Source: World Bank Freshwater Table 3.5
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
World US
70
40
18
46
12 14
2011 Freshwater Withdrawals
Domestic
Industrial
Agriculture
Source: AWWA Water Use Statistics 2014, USGS 2005 Estimated Water Use 2009

4. Conservation and Water Reuse needed
to promote sustainability.
∗ 2005 US Agricultural use
138,000 MGD per day;
half is lost to evaporation
and evapotranspiration.
∗ Switching to low flow
irrigation would save 35%
from evaporation:
∗ Drip Irrigation
∗ Low Spray Irrigation
Source: World Bank Freshwater Table 3.5
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
World US
70
40
18
46
12 14
2011 Freshwater Withdrawals
Domestic
Industrial
Agriculture
Source: USGS 2005 Estimated Water Use

5. Early Examples of Water Reuse.
∗ The oldest use of reclaimed wastewater in
the US is in Grand Canyon Village, AZ IN 1926.
∗ Dual distribution system - two separate lines into a
residence, to supply water for:
∗ Toilet flushing
∗ Boiler feed water for power generators
∗ Steam locomotives (Fulton 2011, p.12).

6. Early Examples of Water Reuse.
∗ Agricultural – non food crops
∗ Industrial – thermoelectric
cooling towers
∗ Irrigation - lawns, golf
courses, and parks
By the 1970s, several other cities
began reusing their wastewater for:

7. Early Examples of Water Reuse.
In 2008, the US reuses the most reclaimed wastewater out of all
countries at a rate of 2 BGD (Jimenez, 2008; NRC, 2012).
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000
USA
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Syria
Isreal
Spain
Total reuse
2,006
488
470
268
217
203
5,416
MGD

8. Brackish Lagoons Oceans
Treated
Wastewater
Where can we reclaim water for reuse?
Image Source: brackish.usegrid.net Image Source: kevinalanlamb.com Image Source: www.kfactorfilter.com
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency & USAID 2012)

9. Potable Reuse
∗ Most familiar & sanitary
∗ Strict treatment
requirement for health
∗ For human consumption
∗ Public water works
∗ Bottled water
Potable
Drinking
Bathing
Cooking

10. Non-potable Reuse
∗ Known as ‘gray water’
∗ Treatment not as strict
∗ Agriculture
∗ Irrigation of non-human food
crops
∗ Industrial
∗ Cooling Towers
∗ Mining
∗ Paper Processing
∗ Urban
∗ Fire hydrants
∗ Lawn and park irrigation
∗ Toilets
∗ Boiler feed
Non-
potable
Agriculture
Industrial
Urban

11. Defacto Reuse
∗ Discharge from a municipal
treatment plant to a stream
or reservoir
∗ Travels downstream mixing
with storm water to another
lake or reservoir
∗ Pulled from downstream
lake or reservoir for reuse
∗ Example: Trinity River,
CRMWADefacto
Discharge
Reservoir
Reuse

12. What Can We Do to Reclaim Water
from Sewage and Reuse It?

13. Primary • Remove large solids, grit,
& grease
Secondary
• Biological & chemical
process to break down
nutrients and remove most
solids
Tertiary
• Polishes and
disinfects water
Treatment Process to Remove Wastes

15. Wastewater Treatment for Reuse
Image Retrieved from: http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/water-pollution/sewage-treatment-process-for-kids.html