Category:
Winner or Honorable Mention:
Title of the Project:
City:
Population:
Name:
Title:
Phone:
1,500 to 4,999
Honorable Mention
Reuse Demonstration Site
Sequim
4,330
James E. Bay
Director Public Works
360-683-4908
City of Sequim
152 West Cedar Street – Sequim, Washington 98382-3317 – Area Code 360
City Hall: 638-4139 – Fax 681-3448
Public Works: 683-4908 – Fax 681-0552
Association of Washington Cities
1076 Franklin Street SE
Olympia, WA 98501-1346
April 24, 2001
Attention: Sarah Partin
Dear Sara:
In November, 1995 the City Council adopted Resolution 95-08 which established a
wastewater reuse task force to research available alternatives for wastewater reuse
systems. The Wastewater Reuse Task Force met weekly and the final report was
presented to the City on February, 1997.
The City of Sequim is located between the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de
Fuca, approximately 50 miles northwest of Seattle and 100 miles north of Olympia,
Washington. Sequim receives approximately 16 inches of rain per year which is a
relatively dry climate for the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the State of Washington the
problem of overuse of water supplies and contamination of our rivers and shorelines
has Sequim Council and state agencies greatly concerned. The City of Sequim has
constructed one of the best all around Reuse Demonstration Systems in the State of
Washington.
The Class A facility upgrade, now known as the Sequim Reclamation Facility, outfall
extension and Class "A" Water Reuse Program has become a reality not only for the
City of Sequim but also for the state agencies and legislation that has been working on
the protection of shorelines, shellfish, water resources and the environment through out
the State of Washington.
With the aid of the $5.3 million loan and a $3.4 million Legislative grant, the City has
upgraded the sewage treatment facility to meet Class "A" reclaimed standards,
extended the outfall 1,320 feet further and deeper into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and
completed the planning/engineering for our 100% upland reuse program.
In this program the Reclamation Facility effluent is no longer wasted into the strait but
returned to the City and used in place of potable water for farm irrigation,
landscape/street scape, fish habitat enhancement etc., which reduces the withdrawal of
water from the Dungeness River and wells in the Sequim Dungeness Valley and
sustains a steady flow of water in Bell Creek, protecting Salmonid and providing
conservation.
The Council's program is to beneficially reuse one hundred percent of its treated
municipal wastewater. The impetus for this program is an agreement signed by the City
in 1994 with the Washington State Departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife. This
agreement ended years of contention over closure of shellfish beds in Sequim Bay due
to the location of the City's wastewater outfall. With this agreement, the City Council has
upgraded its wastewater treatment plant to a Class "A" reclaimed water facility and
investigating future alternatives for reuse of the reclaimed water to achieve the goal of
one hundred percent reuse. The treatment plant upgrade and outfall extension was
completed in February 1999 and the City began producing Class "A" reclaimed water at
that time.
The City Council formed a Water Reuse Task Force to create a foundation for a
technical evaluation of reuse alternatives. The task force consisted of a diverse group of
local community members as well as ad hoc members from agencies that included the
Washington State Departments of Ecology, Department of Health, Department of Fish
and Wildlife, Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and
many others. The March 1997 Water Reuse Task Force Report identified and prioritized
a number of reuse alternatives. The number one alternative identified in the task force
report was enhancement of Bell Creek. Other high priority alternatives included
irrigation of parks, schools and golf courses.
Funding for the construction of a water reuse system was provided by a special
legislative action that established reclaimed water demonstration projects for the five
Washington communities. The City received a grant in the amount of $3,398,500 under
this legislation which specifically called for developing a water reuse system that would
"reopen an existing shellfish closure area to benefit state and tribal resources, improve
stream flows in the Dungeness River and provide a sustainable water supply for
irrigation purposes."
To meet the objectives of the citizen's Reuse Task Force Report and RCW's relating to
the legislative funding requirements, an amendment to the City's Wastewater Facilities
Plan was completed and approved by DOE & DOH providing a designed report for the
Class "A” water reuse system that includes the elements described below.
1.
Construction of an 18-inch trunk pipeline to convey Class "A” reclaimed
water to the City Shop, DOT/City of Sequim Rest Stop and Restroom
Facilities. In the first phase of the project lateral pipelines have been installed to
deliver water to a city park (Carrie Blake park), the new DOT and City of Sequim
joint Highway 101 bypass rest area, City street scape and Reuse Demonstration
Site Education and Interpretive Center.
The City Shop will serve as a hub for future distribution line extensions as well as
a reclaimed water dispensing station to serve a variety of uses including fire
fighting, City vehicle washing, street cleaning and construction water needs (dust
control, compaction).
2.
Creation of a Reuse Demonstration Land Application Site immediately
north of Carrie Blake Park. This site includes constructed wetlands that are
used to cool and re- aerate the reclaimed water prior to its introduction into Bell
Creek at the City park. The site will be heavily landscaped and irrigated showing
a large variety of plant life and different types of irrigation systems all using
reclaimed water. An Interpretive Center will be constructed at the demonstration
site to serve as a focal point for community education on the overall benefits of
reuse.
3.
Stream flow Augmentation of Bell Creek. Bell Creek has been identified as
seriously deficient in flows to support native salmon spawning and rearing. The
City is committing 0.1 cubic feet per second (cfs) of its reclaimed water to
augment flows in Bell Creek to help improve salmon habitat on a year round
basis.
Initial estimates of Dungeness River stream flow improvements are identified in this
report as follows:

2.6 million gallons per year based on replacement of existing potable water
usage at Carrie Blake Park with reclaimed water.

48 million gallons per year based on augmenting stream flows in Bell Creek with
a minimum of 0.1 cfs year round. (This is in cooperation with Highland Irrigation
District and their reduced withdrawals from the Dungeness River by 0.2 cfs)

14.4 million gallons per year by substituting reclaimed water for potable water for
City uses.
The City Council and Community is very proud to have built a Reclamation Facility that
produces 100% of all the sewer inflow into a very usable and environmentally safe
water resource. This resource is brought back to the community and reclaimed, saving
withdrawals from the Dungeness River and the City's well fields and providing a very
effective water conservation program.
We are very honored to be able to send you this summary letter and the entry form for
the 2001 AWC Municipal Achievement Awards.
If you have any questions, please contact the City Manager, or Project Manager, James
E. Bay at (360) 683-4908.
Sincerely,
Bill Thomas
Mayor
City of Sequim