Reclaimed Water
Using reuse water for irrigation has several advantages. One major advantage is that reuse water replaces potable water from the County’s water system that would have been used for irrigation. This reduces the peak loading on the water system which ultimately reduces costs and forestalls the need for expansion of the potable water system. Additionally, using reuse water for irrigation allows golf courses to reduce the amount of fertilizer applications on the courses.
Tertiary treatment of effluent involves a series of additional steps after secondary treatment to further reduce organics, turbidity, nitrogen, phosphorus, metals, and pathogens. Brunswick County uses different forms of Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) processes that remove total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) from wastewater using microorganisms under different environmental conditions in the treatment process. Along with the biological process, these facilities also have effluent filters to reduce turbidity, and disinfection to eliminate pathogens.
HOW CAN WE USE RECLAIMED WATER?
Residential and Business customers may use reclaimed water for landscape irrigation, especially in irrigation systems designed or converted to comply with Reclaimed water irrigation requirements. Reclaimed water can also be used for a limited number of other purposes like:
- Dust control for street sweeping
- Roadway pre-treatment
- Directional boring
- Vehicle washing
- Pesticide application
- Pressure washing
- Decorative ponds and fountains that do NOT have a drain to surface waters, storm drains, or catch basins. These must display permanent weatherproof signage
- General construction purposes such as soil compaction, dust control, and asphalt reclamation
- Cooling tower and boiler blow-down water
- Toilet flushing
WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED:
- Drinking
- Irrigation during inclement weather
- Excessive watering
- Runoff from irrigated areas to run into the street, ditches, or streams
- Water to form ponds or pools
- Connection of a reclaimed water hose to any part of your house plumbing
Currently, reclaimed water is produced at West Brunswick Regional, Ocean Isle Beach, and Sea Trail treatment facilities.
Ocean Isle Beach Water Reclamation Facility is rated at 1.050 MGD. It is a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) batch process alternating anoxic/aerobic/anoxic/aerobic stages used to remove Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorous. Ocean Isle Beach uses a sand filter for reduction of turbidity and UV for disinfection. Although the facility produces reclaimed water, currently this water is only used within the site on spray fields owned and maintained by Brunswick County.
Sea Trail Water Reclamation Facility is rated at 0.30 MGD. It is an extended aeration facility with sand filters for the reduction of turbidity and UV disinfection. Sea Trail produces reclaimed water for the three golf courses at Sea Trail Plantation, these courses are Jones, Byrd and Maples. Although Brunswick county owns and maintains the facility, the golf courses are privately owned.
Tim Webb, Wastewater Treatment Superintendent
(910) 253-2479 | tim.webb@brunswickcountync.gov
LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION?