In 2009, the Center for the Management, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) distributed the fourth 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 2009 results are below.
You may also view the results from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Web site at http://tn.gov/environment/wpc/stormh2o/MS4.shtml. The wastewater reuse survey is found in the "Helpful Links" box in the bottom right corner.
System Highlight
Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Repurified Water System
Rutherford County
Joseph Kirchner, Director
P.O. Box 1477
300 NW Broad Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37133
At the Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Repurified Water System, repurified water is used for irrigating public right-of-ways in the heavily landscaped median of Medical Center Parkway. A large commercial retail site, The Avenue, uses it for irrigation. The Siegel Soccer Complex, a City-owned park, is also irrigated with repurified water. Recently, two commercial office developments have asked about using the repurified water for toilet flushing.
Locations Where Murfreesboro is Using Repurified Water for Irrigation
Richard Siegel Park Championship Soccer Complex
The Avenue Shopping Mall
Siegel High School and Middle School Ball Fields
Two farms, Jordan and Coleman, Purchased for
Repurposed Water Application
Old Fort Golf Course
Stones River Mall
2009 Results
Ninety-four household wastewater treatment facilities returned the survey. Of these, two treated wastewater (or reclaimed water) to be reused in 2009. The total amount of wastewater these treatment facilities can handle is 18.00 mgd, and those facilities treated 17.98 mgd of domestic wastewater in 2009. Approximately 3.68 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 |
Area of Residences Irrigated |
Area of Golf Courses Irrigated |
No. of Parks Irrigated |
No. of Schools Irrigated |
Area of Other Public Access Irrigated |
Area of Grass, Pasture, Other Crops Irrigated |
| Chattanooga |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Columbia |
2 |
0 |
154 acres |
0 |
0 |
68 acres |
0 |
|
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 |
1 |
100 acres |
221 acres |
3 |
1 |
64 acres |
600 acres |
|
2009 Total |
3 |
100 acres |
375 acres |
3 |
1 |
132 acres |
600 acres |
| The following table summarizes the way reuse water was used among the three systems that practiced the technique. It also includes the number of reuse systems, flow and area for each reuse type. The facilities did not report their capacities in this section. |
|||
| Reuse Type | Number of Systems | Flow (mgd) | Area Acres |
| Public Access Areas & Landscape Irrigation | |||
| Golf Course Irrigation |
2 |
1.30 |
375 |
| Residential Irrigation |
1 |
0.35 |
100 |
| Other Public Access Areas |
1 |
1.53 |
64 |
| Subtotal |
4 |
3.18 |
539 |
| Agricultural Irrigation | |||
| Edible Crops |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other Crops |
1 |
0.50 |
600 |
| Subtotal |
1 |
0.50 |
600 |
| Groundwater Recharge & Indirect Potable (See definition below) |
|||
| Rapid Infiltration Basins |
0 |
||
| Adsorption Fields (See definition below) |
0 |
||
| Surface Water Augmentation |
0 |
||
| Injection |
0 |
||
| Subtotal |
0 |
||
| Industrial | |||
| At Treatment Plant |
0 |
||
| At Other Facilities |
0 |
||
| Subtotal |
0 |
||
| Toilet Flushing |
0 |
||
| Fire Protection |
0 |
||
| Wetlands |
0 |
||
| Other Uses |
0 |
||
| Totals |
5 |
3.68 |
1139 |
of water available for drinking and other uses.
Contact information for the systems that practice water reuse is below.
| Reuse System Name | County | Contact Person/Title | Address |
| King's Creek Golf Course | Maury | Travis Massey, Superintendent | City Hall, 199 Town Center, Parkway, Box 789 Spring Hill, TN 37174 |
| Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department | Rutherford | Joseph Kirchner, Director | 300 NW Broad St., P.O. Box 1477 Murfreesboro, TN 37133 |
| Sewanee Utility District | Franklin | Ben Beavers | P.O. Box 3211 Sewanee, TN 37375 |
| FGCC (Fairfield Glade) Slow Rate Land Application Facility | Cumberland | Jane Walker | 7827 Peavine Road Fairfield Glade, TN 38558 |
Note: Fairfield Glade uses wastewater in field applications.
For a listing of the entire 2009 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.
