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May 31, 2001
"Drought Proof" Sammamish River water solutions announced
King County Executive Ron Sims today announced a “drought proof” plan that will increase the amount of water in the Sammamish River. The plan will protect the salmon while ensuring the health of the agricultural and recreational opportunities in the valley with sufficient amounts of water so they can continue existing operations.
Sims said the use of highly treated wastewater, or reclaimed water, will be available in a few years to provide water for agricultural and recreational uses so water does not have to be taken from the Sammamish River as it currently is. This leaves more water in the river for the salmon that migrate up the Sammamish River to spawn each fall.
The County is working to provide reclaimed water to major water users beginning in 2003, Sims said, and has applied to the State Department of Ecology to temporarily transfer partial use of its Sammamish water rights to several irrigation water users.
Under Sims’ proposal, major water users in the Sammamish River Valley, such as the Willows Run Golf Course, Hmong farmers, Farm LLC and Molbak’s Nursery, would be allowed temporary use of King County’s water rights under the application filed with the state. King County will be paid for the use of the water, and, in addition, will work directly with the water users to maximize water efficiency and monitor water usage and operations to make sure the reclaimed water project serves users’ needs.
Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater that is safe for irrigation, recreation and industrial uses. Once reclaimed water is available along the Sammamish River, several water users will switch to reclaimed water for irrigation and stop drawing water from the river or groundwater. The King County project to establish a reclaimed water facility in the Sammamish River Valley is now in the preliminary design phase. Construction of a one to five million gallons-per-day satellite treatment facility is expected to take place in 2002 and 2003.
An early action phase of the project will establish small pilot-scale technology testing equipment at the Hollywood Pump Station between Redmond and Woodinville. The reclaimed water produced there will irrigate these garden test plots that represent the range of water users in the Valley.
“All over the country, reclaimed water is used for park and golf course irrigation and for industrial heating and cooling,” said Sims. “When major water users here have another good source of water, they will be able to leave more water in the Sammamish River to help keep water temperatures cool and healthier for salmon. By taking the treatment process one step further we tap into a new drought-proof supply of water.”
King County currently has the capacity to produce about two million gallons of reclaimed water at its two wastewater treatment plants. The water is used for wastewater system operations and for landscape irrigation. Reclaimed water is also used to irrigate ballfields at King County’s Fort Dent Park in Tukwila. Fort Dent’s use of reclaimed water has saved over 15 million gallons of drinking water in the last three years.
Earlier this month, Sims announced that Foster Golf Course and Baker Commodities will be contracting with the County to begin using its reclaimed water this summer.
King County's reclaimed water meets or exceeds state Class A reclaimed water standards. This means it is safe for human contact, such as getting it on a cut or scrape, but it is not approved or intended for drinking.
Updated: May 31, 2001
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