Reclaimed Water Programs

What is “Reclaimed Water?”

Reclaimed water is created by substantially treating and cleaning wastewater (the water that goes down your sinks and toilets) to a point that it can be reused in certain situations, such as irrigating lawns, flushing toilets or recharging groundwater.  Learn more at the Washington State Department of Ecology Reclaimed Water Program.

The process of reclaiming water, sometimes called water recycling or water reuse, involves a highly-engineered, multi-step treatment process that speeds up nature’s restoration of water quality.  The treatment process ensures that water leaving specialized treatment facilities meets stringent standards requirements.  In Lacey, reclaimed water is produced by the the LOTT Clean Water Alliance’s Hawks Prairie Reclaimed Water Satellite Plant  located on Martin Way. 

fire hydrant

Compounds of Emerging Concern Science Symposium

On Friday, March 2, 2012, LOTT and the Washington State Department of Health co-sponsored a science symposium on pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and other compounds of emerging concern and their potential impact on the environment. The symposium was an opportunity to learn about what happens to these compounds during wastewater treatment and when reclaimed water is infiltrated to groundwater.  Slide from each of the five speakers are available on the LOTT website, along with videos of the presentations.

Browse to the LOTT website to view slides and videos from the symposium.