2007 Results
Wastewater Reuse Inventory
In 2007, the Center for the Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) distributed the second annual survey of Tennessee wastewater treatment utilities (only those that are legally allowed to handle 0.1 million of gallons or more of water per day [mgd]) to find out which ones were using water conservation and water reuse practices. A survey like this is important to Tennessee as it faces strong pressures on its water resources from human use, and the 2007 results are below.
You may also view the results from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Web site links at http://www.state.tn.us/environment/dws/ and http://www.state.tn.us/environment/wpc/other.shtml.
Click on pdf link below for larger image.
System Highlight
The City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, currently has a water reuse program implemented in which treated wastewater is delivered to King's Creek Golf Course for irrigation purposes. The City does not charge for this reuse water and encourages high usage as to prevent treated potable water from being used for irrigation purposes. The wastewater is processed at the treatment plant and disinfected utilizing ultraviolet disinfect. The reuse water is again disinfected utilizing liquid chlorine prior to being conveyed to the golf course ponds. Irrigation pumps pull the reuse water from the ponds and distribute it to the irrigation system located across the golf course grounds, which consist of approximately 160 acres. The City maintains the chlorination feed system at the wastewater treatment plant, and the golf course maintains the pumps and irrigation system. This use has been permitted by TDEC as part of Spring Hill's Wastewater NPDES permit and is reported monthly. The reuse program not only conserves potable water use but also allows less treated discharge to Rutherford Creek, which is listed on the state's 303d listing for siltation and future TMDL studies for nitrates and phosphate. Water reuse has allowed a reduction in potable water withdrawal and treatment while also reducing wastewater discharges to Rutherford Creek.
The average daily reuse water utilized for spray irrigation purposes is indicated as follows:
- Year 2004: 159,150 gallons
- Year 2005: 334,500 gallons
- Year 2006: 507,900 gallons
- Year 2007: 553,140 gallons
The peak daily water reuse discharges to the golf course were:
- 1,448,300 gallons; July 25, 2006
- 1,473,000 gallons; August 1, 2006
- 1,124,600 gallons; August 9, 2007
The City of Spring Hill also intends to encourage a water reuse distribution system for a new planned development to be located on the east side of Interstate-65.
2007 Results
One hundred and twelve household wastewater treatment facilities returned the survey. Of these, six treated wastewater (or reclaimed water) to be reused in 2007. The total amount of wastewater these treatment facilities can handle is 8.51 mgd, and those facilities treated 55.991 mgd of domestic wastewater in 2007. Approximately 3.262 mgd of treated wastewater from these facilities were reused for beneficial purposes (like those listed in the table below).
This table shows the number of facilities that reuse water in each TDEC Environmental Field Office District. It also shows how the treated wastewater was used within each district (how many golf courses, schools and parks were irrigated with it, etc.) Note: None of the facilities used the treated wastewater for edible crop irrigation, groundwater recharge, or indirect applications.
| TDEC Environ. Field Office | No. of Reuse Systems | No. of Homes Irrigated | No. of Golf Courses Irrigated | No. of Parks Irrigated | No. of Schools Irrigated | Other Public Access | Grass, Pasture, Other Crops |
| Chattanooga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Columbia | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cookeville | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnson City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Knoxville | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Memphis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nashville | 3 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 Total | 6 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| The following table summarizes the ways reuse water was used among the six systems that practiced that technique. It also includes the number of reuse systems, capacity, flow and area for each reuse type. | ||||
| Reuse Type | Number of Systems | Capacity (mgd) | Flow (mgd) | Area Acres |
| Public Access Areas & Landscape Irrigation | ||||
| Golf Course Irrigation | 3 | 1.5 | 2.35 | 632 |
| Residential Irrigation | 9 | 0.004 | 2.5 | |
| Other Public Access Areas | 2 | 0.248 | 114 | |
| Subtotal | 14 | 1.5 | 2.602 | 748.5 |
| Agricultural Irrigation | ||||
| Edible Crops | 0 | 0 | ||
| Other Crops | 2 | 0.59 | 0.34 | 78 |
| Subtotal | 2 | 0.59 | 0.34 | 78 |
| Groundwater Recharge & Indirect Potable (See definition below) | ||||
| Rapid Infiltration Basins | 0 | |||
| Adsorption Fields (See definition below) | 0 | |||
| Surface Water Augmentation | 1 | 6.42 | ||
| Injection | 0 | |||
| Subtotal | 1 | 6.42 | ||
| Industrial | ||||
| At Treatment Plant | 2 | 0.66 | ||
| At Other Facilities | 0 | |||
| Subtotal | 2 | 0.66 | ||
| Toilet Flushing | 0 | |||
| Fire Protection | 0 | |||
| Wetlands | 0 | |||
| Other Uses | 0 | |||
| Totals | 19 | 8.51 | 6.864 | 826.5 |
Contact information for each of the six systems that practiced water reuse is below.
| Reuse System Name | County | Contact Person/Title | Address |
| King's Creek Golf Course | Maury | Jerome Dempsey Consulting Engineer for City of Spring Hill, Tennessee | 502 Hazelwood Drive Smyrna, TN 37167 (615) 220-5800 |
| Sewanee Utility District WWTP & Land Application System | Franklin | Ben Beavers General Manager | 150 Sherwood Road Sewanee, TN 37375 (931) 598-5611 |
| Metro Moore Utility | Moore | Douglas Sanders General Manager | 705 Fayetteville Hwy., P.O. Box 503 Lynchburg, TN 37352 (931) 759-4297 |
| Murfreesboro Water and Sewer | Rutherford | Ron BlantonSuperintendent | P.O. Box 1477, 2032 Blanton Drive Murfreesboro, TN 37129(615) 848-3225 |
| Water Management Department | Williamson | Vic Bates Wastewater Superintendent | 135 Claude Yates Drive Franklin, TN 37064(615) 791-3240 |
| Cartwright Creek WWTP | Williamson | Bruce MeyerTennessee Regional Manager | 1551 Thompson's Station Road West Thompson's Station, TN 37179(615) 261-8613 |
For a listing of the entire 2007 results or to report omissions or inaccuracies, please contact the Center's main office at 931/372-3507.
The questions and format of the inventory survey were patterned after the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Annual Reuse Report. The Center and TDEC express gratitude to Dr. David York (Water Reuse Coordinator, Department of Environmental Protection, 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard M.S. 49, Tallahassee, Florida 32399) for granting permission to utilize material contained in the FDEP Annual Reuse Report. Appreciation is also extended to the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts (TAUD) for providing their support of the Reuse Inventory.