About the Project

LOTT manages wastewater for approximately 118,000 people in the urban areas of Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater in Thurston County, Washington. Since 2006, LOTT has produced reclaimed water that is either used for irrigation and other non-drinking purposes, or sent to infiltration basins where it recharges groundwater. The long-range plan for meeting future wastewater needs centers on producing more reclaimed water and recharging groundwater.

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LOTT built a Reclaimed Water Satellite System that can produce up to 1.5 million gallons per day (mgd) of reclaimed water. The system includes the Martin Way Reclaimed Water Plant, which uses a membrane bioreactor for primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment to meet Washington State's Class A Reclaimed Water standards.

 

The water is piped to the Hawks Prairie Reclaimed Water Ponds and Recharge Basins, where it circulates through five constructed wetland ponds that also serve as a public park and ecosystem for local wildlife. Then the water flows into recharge basins to infiltrate into the aquifer.

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LOTT also produces up to 1.5 mgd of Class A Reclaimed Water at its Budd Inlet Treatment Plant using sand filter technology. Most of this reclaimed water is used for irrigation, toilet flushing, water features, and process uses within the treatment plant.

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Why an Independent Advisory Panel? 

Community members raised questions and concerns about residual chemicals from pharmaceuticals and personal care products that may remain in reclaimed water, and what happens to those chemicals when reclaimed water is used to recharge groundwater.

 

To address these questions, LOTT has begun a multi-year scientific study to:

1. Provide scientific data and community perspectives to help policymakers make informed decisions about future wastewater and reclaimed water treatment and uses.

2. Ensure that the scientific study and public involvement processes are credible, objective, transparent, responsive, and responsible.

3. Foster meaningful, community-wide dialog about water quality, reclaimed water, groundwater recharge, risk assessment, and related watershed issues.​

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Resources

• City of Lacey Water Resources

• City of Olympia Water Resources

• City of Tumwater Water Resources

• Washington State Department of Ecology: Reclaimed Water

• Washington State Department of Health: Reclaimed Water

• LOTT Clean Water Alliance: Programs

• LOTT Reclaimed Water Infiltration Study

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Contact

National Water Research Institute

Suzanne Sharkey, Water Resources Scientist and Project Manager ssharkey@nwri-usa.org 

 

Panel Meeting Reports

Panel Meeting 1 for the LOTT RWIS was held in February 2014 at LOTT's administrative offices in Olympia.  Download the Panel's Meeting 1 Report. 

 

Panel Meeting 2 for the LOTT RWIS was held in November 2017 at LOTT's administrative offices in Olympia. The meeting included a site visit to see the infiltration basins.

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The Panel documented their recommendations in the Meeting 2 Panel Report. In addition, the LOTT RWIS Study Team responded to the Panel's recommendations. 

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The Meeting 3 Panel Report contains updated findings and recommendations for the LOTT RWIS Study Team.

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The Meeting 4 Panel Report contained recommendations on the Residual Chemical Fate and Transport Analysis, the Groundwater Modeling Work Plan, a 2020 Field Investigation Report, and the draft Human Health Risk Assessment and Ecological Risk Assessment.

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The Meeting 5 Panel Report contains recommendations on the draft Human Health Risk Assessment and Ecological Risk Assessment.

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The Meeting 6 Panel Report contains recommendations on the draft Human Health Risk Assessment and the Cost/Benefit Analysis.

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The Meeting 7 Panel Report contains recommendations on the Cost/Benefit Analysis and the RWIS draft Project Summary.

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