AWWA REUSE52139

The City of Vernon, with a population of 32,000, is located in the semi-arid Okanagan Valley of south central British Columbia, Canada. Following secondary treatment by trickling filters, Vernon's treated wastewater is pumped into an 8,000 acre foot reservoir and is stored up to a year before being chlorinated and irrigated on 1,000 Ha (2,500 acres) of nearby water-thirsty land. Annually, during a 6-month irrigation season, over 4.5 million cubic meters (1.2 billion US gallons) of nutrient rich reclaimed water is beneficially re-used. The program is in keeping with a City policy of not discharging treated wastewater at any level of treatment into a watercourse, except on an emergency basis. However, demands on freshwater and the production of wastewater are increasing due to population growth. A review of Vernon's 1985 Liquid Waste Management Plan (LWMP) was initiated to examine wastewater management technology and to plan for the next 20 to 40 years. One of the conclusions of the review was that the integration of water and wastewater planning involving dual distribution reuse systems is the least costly and most environmentally responsible approach for the City to pursue. This paper summarizes Vernon's proposed dual water distribution system in which reclaimed water will be used for urban irrigation in addition to its current uses. Includes table.