Holiday closure Monday May 28: Most county offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day.

For more information about Resource Recovery, please send us an email message or contact us at:

King County Wastewater Treatment Division
Resource Recovery
201 S. Jackson Street
Mail Stop: KSC-NR-0512
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206-684-1247
Fax: 206-684-2057

The Walt Disney World Resort Complex uses reclaimed water for irrigation of landscaped areas including golf courses.

The Right Water
for the Right Use...

Did you know most of the nation’s water supply is not being used for drinking? It’s being used for everything else! But wait! Today there’s the right water for the right use! Reclaimed water is not for drinking, but it's perfect for just about everything else.

Rather than sending all those millions of gallons of cleaned water straight into Puget Sound, we could be using it for countless occasions like when our play fields are thirsty or when our wetlands are going through a dry-spell. Farmers could use it to keep their crops green and manufacturers could be using it to cool their machines. Every day, people somewhere in the world are creating a new use for cleaned water. Now it’s our turn to take advantage of this valuable renewable resource.

Wherever you see purple pipes, you’re looking at an efficient water management system where water is not wasted!

Starfire Sports has used reclaimed water to keep their field complex green.

Recreation

Starfire Sports has used reclaimed water from the Wastewater Treatment Division's South Treatment Plant since 1997. In 2010, more than 2.3 million gallons of reclaimed water kept the grass at their field complex green including their world class practice field used by the Seattle Sounders. Using reclaimed water helps Starfire Sports use less fertilizer and it's less expensive than using tap water.

Golf courses around the world use reclaimed water to irrigate their green acres. Too much salt in the soil can be detrimental for turf grass and crops. Fortunately for us, our water is already low in sodium. In fact, local studies have shown that soil irrigated with reclaimed water has less salinity than soil receiving synthetic fertilizer. It's also helpful our lengthy rainy season prevents salt from accumulating in our soils. If adding too much salt to your soil is a concern, there’s little to worry about if you’re irrigating with reclaimed water.

Disney World uses reclaimed water as one of their key tenets of corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship goals.

Industrial Business

Reclaimed water in the magic kingdom! Disney World uses reclaimed water as one of their key tenets of corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship goals. Disney has steadily increased its use of reclaimed water over the years for landscape irrigation, cooling tower operation and to recharge an aquifer through a series of infiltration basins.

Every year, King County uses over 330 million gallons of reclaimed water to operate wastewater treatment plants. Other business and industrial uses of reclaimed water include a variety of manufacturing plants and processes: heating and cooling, construction, making concrete, washing cars and controlling dust on roadways. Using reclaimed water is a responsible environmental choice and can help a facility achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED status.

In many states, certified organic farmers use Class A reclaimed water.

Agriculture

Having a reliable source of water for irrigation is vital for growing successful crops!
Do you know you probably already food grown with reclaimed water?

From the strawberries and artichokes in California to the oranges and orange juice in Florida - thousands of acres of agriculture have been irrigated with reclaimed water for years! In many states, certified organic farmers use Class A reclaimed water.

Soon Sammamish Valley farms and nurseries will have access to Class A reclaimed water as an alternative irrigation option for the produce and crops grown there.

Since 1997, King Conservation District’s wetland plant cooperative has used reclaimed water to grow over 30 species of native plants

Horticulture

Since 1997, King Conservation District’s wetland plant cooperative has used reclaimed water to grow over 30 species of native plants. They use about 200 gallons of water a day to irrigate their inventory of more than 10,000 plants. They are thrilled with the the results!

Inspired by questions raised by the owners of several nurseries in the Sammamish Valley researchers from the University of Washington conducted studies to gauge the growth response of plants irrigated with reclaimed water and whether it might be necessary to adjust watering and fertilizing routines. The results were impressive! Not only were the plants just as beautiful and abundant as the plants receiving fertilized tap water but their soil samples had less salinity and lower metal content!

Reclaimed water is used for improving the environment including enhancing wetlands, improving low in-stream flows, recharging aquifers and for providing a fresh water barrier to keep saltwater from intruding on fresh water supplies.

Environmental Enhancement

All over the world, reclaimed water is used for improving the environment including enhancing wetlands, improving low in-stream flows, recharging aquifers and for providing a fresh water barrier to keep saltwater from intruding on fresh water supplies.

Closer to home, the Carnation Treatment Plant sends Class A reclaimed water to the wetlands at the Chinook Bend Natural Area in accordance with WTD's commitment to use the wetlands as its primary discharge location rather than the Snoqualmie River. Here, it increases the amount of habitat for a variety of aquatic and wildlife species and provides opportunities for outdoor recreation.

The LOTT Clean Water Alliance serving the Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater area has a 41-acre park featuring five constructed wetland ponds and over 225,000 wetland plants. After moving through the wetland ponds, the water recharges an aquifer by way of percolation ponds.