Oklahoma Department of Environmental QualityWater Quality Division

Patty S. Thompson, P.E.

Water Pro Conference

September 30, 2015

In 2010, several things happened in Oklahoma to

bring about an interest in developing regulations for

water reuse:

Drought

Oklahoma Water Plan

Municipalities

Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB)

developed the 2060 Water Plan

HB 3055 Water for 2060 Act passed in 2012

Water for 2060 Act sets a statewide goal of

“consuming no more fresh water in 2060

than we consume today”

Water efficiency, conservation, recycling,

and reuse will need to be implemented to

meet that goal

In 2010, representatives from a number of Oklahoma

municipalities, through the Oklahoma Municipal League,

expressed interest in using reclaimed water as a way to help

conserve water due to the extreme drought that Oklahoma was

experiencing

These representatives met with the Oklahoma Department of

Environmental Quality (DEQ) and a workgroup was formed with

members from DEQ, various municipalities, technical experts

from engineering firms, and members of the public

A review of other states’ water reuse regulations and

implementation methods along with input from our

workgroup and technical experts helped DEQ create water

reuse regulations that fit the State of Oklahoma.

Water reuse regulations became effective July 1, 2012 and

can be found online at

www.deq.state.ok.us/mainlinks/deqrules.htm

OAC 252:656-27 Wastewater Reuse (Construction Standards)

Also updated 656-3-4 for Engineer’s Reports for Water Reuse

OAC 252:627 Water Reuse (Operations Standards)

Wastewater to be reclaimed was divided into five categories (2, 3, 4, 5, & 6) for non-potable use, with each category having specific treatment, reuses, testing frequencies, limits, and monthly reporting requirements.

Category 1 was reserved for potable reuse.

“Direct Potable Reuse” to be classified as 1(a). “Indirect Potable Reuse” to surface waters to be classified

as1(b). “Indirect Potable Reuse” to groundwater to be classified

as1(c).

“Categories” of water reuse were determined by

several factors, including:

Final usage of the reclaimed water

Potential for human contact

Technology required to protect the environment and public

health

Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Introduction of advanced treated water, through an

“engineered” buffer, into the raw water supply immediately upstream of a drinking water treatment facility, and treated to meet drinking water standards for potable purposes

Indirect Potable Reuse (IPR) Introduction of advanced treated water into an

“environmental” buffer such as a surface water body, before being withdrawn and treated at a drinking water treatment facility to meet drinking water standards for potable purposes

Big Springs, Texas

CDM Smith

Water

Treatment

Plant

Primary

ClarifiersFinal

Clarifiers

Aeration

Basins

Filters

Screening

Membrane

Filtration

Reverse

Osmosis

Distribution

UV

Radiation

H2O2

Advanced Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater Treatment

IPR DPR

Engineered

Buffer

Environmental Buffer

Wastewater

Discharge

Irrigation

Concrete mixing

Dust control

Industrial cooling towers

Toilet and urinal flushing

Fire protection

Vehicle washing

Range cattle watering

Hydraulic fracturing

Category Treatment Reuses

1 Reserved (for direct and

indirect potable reuse)

2 Secondary Treatment

(nutrient removal, coagulation,

filtration and disinfection)

Drip irrigation on orchards & vineyards; spray or

drip on sod farms, public landscapes, golf

courses, and toilets, fire protection, vehicle

washing, and range cattle watering

3 Secondary Treatment

(nutrient removal and

disinfection)

Subsurface irrigation of orchards or vineyards;

restricted access landscapes; livestock pasture,

concrete mixing, dust control, restricted golf

course irrigation

4 Primary Lagoon Treatment

(disinfection and storage

detention)

Soil compaction, similar construction activities,

and restricted access golf course irrigation

5 Primary Lagoon Treatment and

Lagoon Storage

Restricted access pasture irrigation for range

cattle, fiber, seed, forage, silviculture

6 Wastewater treatment plant use only

Testing Frequency Limits

Turbidity continuous Not to exceed

• daily average 2 NTU

• 5 NTU>5% of daily max per month

• 10 NTU

Chlorine at POE continuous • free chlorine ≥ 1.0 mg/l

Chlorine at EOP daily • free chlorine ≥ 0.2 mg/l or

• combined chlorine ≥ 0.50 mg/l

Fecal Coliform daily • No detectable organisms in 4 of last

7 daily samples

• Single sample max ≤ 23 cfu/100 ml

Nitrogen/Phosphorus monthly • ≤ most stringent agronomic rate

CBOD5 weekly • < 5.0 mg/l

Log Removal

o 5-log removal or inactivation of Adenovirus type 15

o 5-log removal or inactivation of Salmonella typhimurium

o 3-log removal or inactivation of Giardia lamblia

Testing Frequency Limits

Chlorine at POE 12 hours • free chlorine ≥ 0.2 mg/l or

• combined chlorine ≥ 0.50 mg/l

Fecal Coliform 3/week • Monthly geometric mean of < 200

cfu/100 ml

• Single sample < 400 cfu/100 ml

Nitrogen/Phosphorus monthly • ≤ most stringent agronomic rate

CBOD5 weekly • < 20 mg/l

Testing Frequency Limits

Chlorine at POE daily • free chlorine ≥ 0.20 mg/l or

• combined chlorine ≥ 0.50 mg/l

Fecal Coliform weekly • Monthly geometric mean of < 200

cfu/100 ml

• Single sample < 800 cfu/100 ml

Dissolved oxygen weekly • > 2.0 mg/l

Testing Frequency Limits

none none none

Category 5 is required to maintain MORs (DEQ Form No. 627-

MOR) on-site, reporting temperature, rainfall, start time, stop

time, gallons reused, and site area in acres.

Oklahoma has approximately 140 existing facilities with the following categories:

Category 2 2 facilities in process Category 3 ≤ 10 facilitiesCategory 4 ≤ 10 facilitiesCategory 5 ≈125 facilities

Operating Permits are renewed every five (5) years.

Technology (new processes)

Water Quality Standards

Oil and Gas

Co-Chairmen

Tom Crowley, P.E., Carollo Engineers

Gary Hunter, P.E., Black and Veatch

Regulations promulgated in FY 2014

Traveling Bridge Filters

Disc and Cloth Filters

Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) Disinfection Systems

Regulations promulgated in FY 2015

-- Effective September 15, 2015

Disinfection Technologies

Onsite hypochlorite generation

Ozonation

Filtration technologies

Membrane Filters (Micro, Ultra, Nano, and Reverse

Osmosis)

Oil and Gas

Category 3 for hydraulic fracturing

Category 2 for makeup water for oil and gas production

Membrane Bioreactors (MBR)

Peracetic Acid Disinfection (PAA)

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP)

CT for Chlorine for Category 2 Reuse

Biologically Active Filtration (BAF)

Non-potable water uses onsite of Wastewater Treatment Plant

Co-ChairmenMichael Graves, Garver Engineering

Ellen McDonald, P.E., Alan Plummer and Associates

Priorities FY 2016

Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) – Water Quality Standards

ISSUE: The Sensitive Water Supply (SWS) lakes are provided additional protection in the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards, with a prohibition of no new loading or new point source discharges, unless the “discharge will result in maintaining or improving the water quality of both the direct receiving water and any downstream waterbodies designated SWS” [OAC 785:45-5-25(c)(4)(B)]

Path forward on indirect potable reuse (IPR) for SWS lakes to allow for augmentation by reclaimed water through Water Quality Standard changes

A method to change the classification of SWS lakes to SWS-R lakes is being proposed

This change to Chapter 45 has to go through the Rulemaking Process

Water classified “SWS-R” are:

“those waters of the state which constitute sensitive

public and private water supplies that may be

augmented with reclaimed water for the purpose of

indirect potable reuse.”

OWRB Rulemaking Process

October 1, 2015 – 2nd Informal Stakeholder Meeting, 1:30 p.m. at the OWRB.

October 27, 2015 – 3rd Informal Meeting, 1:30 p.m. at the OWRB.

November 1, 2015 – Notice for formal comment period (assuming public and stakeholder acceptability)

December 31, 2015 – Comment period closes

January 19, 2016 -- OWRB Board Meeting hears staff proposed WQS revisions

February or March 2016 – Board Meeting to vote on proposed revisions

Late 2016 - Likely effective date

Chairman

Rick McCurdy, Chesapeake

Reclaimed water to be used for hydraulic fracturing and

makeup water for drilling

DEQ and Oklahoma Corporation Commission have negotiated

a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on jurisdictional issues

for water reuse

Oklahoma Corporation Commission is also updating rules

All reclaimed water piping, valves, outlets and appurtenances in distribution systems shall be colored purple (Pantone 522).

Existing systems will not be required to put in purple pipe, but will need to mark pipe with appropriate signage.

Thank you

Patty S. Thompson, P.E.

Water Quality Division

Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

405-702-8187

patty.thompson@deq.ok.gov