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In 1996, North Carolina adopted rules governing the use of reclaimed water, allowing for the beneficial reuse of reclaimed water. Since that time, communities have begun looking at reuse to reduce discharges to the state's waterways and to offset growing potable water demands. Many communities have initiated reuse distribution systems, particularly in areas that have irrigation demands near the wastewater treatment facilities. This paper will present the regulatory framework for reuse distribution in North Carolina, including a summary of the rules and incentives for reuse. The City of Raleigh is one of those communities that recognized the value of reuse water and began a reuse program in 1996. This paper will provide a history of Raleigh's reuse program and its plans for the future. The rules allow reuse water to be used for most non-potable applications, including irrigation, industrial uses, toilet flushing, and fire protection. The rules also specify requirements for reuse water quality, buffers, labeling, and cross-connection control. Communities are allowed to approve irrigation systems, provided they demonstrate the resources and standards to oversee the expansion of their reuse distribution system. The rules also state that "It is the intent of the Commission to encourage the beneficial use of the state's water resources concurrent with the protection of public health and the environment." In light of this, many state programs are offering incentives for reuse or dictating that reuse be evaluated. Funding agencies are giving priority to projects involving reuse. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources is requiring evaluation of reuse before issuing any new or expanded NPDES permits. The City of Raleigh began developing a reuse program in 1996 to serve a recently constructed golf course near the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facilities also serves a portion of the City-owned agricultural fields. Currently, the City is developing a Reuse Water System Master Plan for expansion of the system, with intentions to expand the reuse customer base to include additional irrigation users, and industrial and commercial users. The first phase of the program is to educate the public and survey potential customers to determine reuse demand across the region. The demand data is mapped to determine areas of high reuse demand, and hydraulic modeling is used to determine the distribution system requirements. A reuse water ordinance and design standards are also being developed. The ordinance includes a rate structure for the City to recover some of the capital and operating costs. Cross connection control and labeling requirements are also specifically addressed. The master plan is also used to obtain the necessary permits to construct the facility. The plan includes an environmental assessment. The plan will also demonstrate the ability of the City to permit individual irrigation systems to expand the distribution system. This paper concludes with a discussion of the benefits to the City of Raleigh and surrounding region. Includes reference, table, figures.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 01/01/2002 Number of Pages: 11 File Size: 1 file , 370 KB