Public and Private Partnerships for

Water Reuse:

Wastewater, Stormwater,

Rainwater, or Industrial Water

Reuse

APWA MN Fall Conference

November 20, 2014

Earle Brown Heritage Center

introductions

• Michelle Stockness, PE, Barr Engineering

• Erin Anderson Wenz, ENV SP, PE, Barr Engineering

• Tina Carstens, Assistant Administrator, Ramsey

Washington Metro Watershed District

presentation outline

• Drivers for reuse projects

• How to identify opportunities for water reuse

projects

• Why you need partners

• Creating partnerships, step by step

• Case studies

really, here?

rainwater, stormwater, wastewater, industrial

water reuse: midwestern project drivers

• cost of securing potable water from traditional

sources

• corporate sustainability principles

• public education

driverschanging

regulations

discharge

requirements

source water

availability

do I really have to partner with someone?

“The issues we face are so big and the targets are so

challenging that we cannot do it alone. When you look

at any issue, such as food or water scarcity, it is very

clear that no individual institution, government or

company can provide the solution alone."

-Paul Polmen, CEO of Unilever (also Chairman of the World Business Council

for Sustainable Development)

so you want to do a reuse project…

Where do you start?

working with another organization, permitting, legal

agreements, finances…

general process for water reuse projects

Step 1- Identification of project and possible partners

Step 2- Do your homework

Step 3- Engage possible partners and build the project team

Step 4- Project feasibility

Step 5- Project Definition

Step 6- Execution, Construction

Step 7- Operation

matching sources to end uses,

sometimes in unexpected places

Step 1- Identification of project and possible partners

Look around…

• If you need water: Where is there abundant water?

• If you need to get rid of water: Who needs it? Who uses a lot of water (billing records)?

• What is the quality of the proposed source water?

• What is the water quality needed for the proposed consumer?

• What needs to be done to “fill the water quality gap”?

• Starter project: biggest bang for your buck

background on your possible project and

partners

Step 2- Do your homework

• Does the organization have a sustainability policy?

Water Stewardship:

Clean water is elemental and essential for life. And meeting increasing global water demand with a diminishing supply is one of the world’s most pressing issues. We continue to work toward reducing our water consumption and toward releasing fewer pollutants in the water.

-Excerpt from 3M’s Sustainability Policy

• Have you interacted with them in the past?

• Do they know what a water reuse project is? How much education will they need?

• What pressures and worries are they feeling in their organization now? In the future?

• What would motivate them to partner with you?

different motivations are fine if the “machine”

moves together to support the project

Securing a sustainable water source for our City

Good Public Relations, Fewer Discharge Permits Needed

Investment that aligns with our Mission to protect

groundwater

Sometimes these partnerships involve

organizations that would on the surface

appear to be at odds.

“Collaboration between different types of

organizations can produce previously

unimagined solutions.”

-Network for Business Sustainability’s website

initial conversations with possible partners

Step 3- Approach possible partners and build the

project team

• Education on benefits of reuse projects (bring photo examples)

• Why your public organization wants to do this

• Why this partnership would be mutually beneficial

• Listen to their business constraints

• What would they need to go forward

• Who makes the go/no-go decisions?

• Who is the lead organization? This may take some time!

Be a good communicator

and be patient…

initial conversations with possible partners

Step 4- Project feasibility

• Identify infrastructure needs

• High level capital and O&M costs

• Regulatory and permitting issues

• Future capacity and demand

• Funding scenarios

• Identify who will own “it” and who will maintain “it”

• Legal agreements, easements

• Identify deal breakers

This may take some time!

Be a good communicator

and be patient…

engagement techniques to inform design and

build consensus

• focus group meetings

• one-on-one interviews

• public presentations and open houses

• design charrettes and workshops

• small group discussions

• “dot-mocracy” priority ranking exercise

• “brain-sprinting”

• community walk-abouts

• citizen photograph surveys

• social media updates

• web-based communication (crowdsourcing)

communicateStep 5- Project definition

and then the rest of the work follows…

Step 1- Identification of project and possible partners

Step 2- Do your homework

Step 3- Engage possible partners and build the project team

Step 4- Project feasibility

Step 5- Project Definition

Step 6- Execution, Construction

Step 7- Operation

Step 8- Tell the story of your success!

wastewater reuse: Dakota Prairie Refinery

“It rains every day at a wastewater

treatment plant.”

wastewater reuse: Dakota Prairie Refinery

• 20,000 barrels per day

diesel refinery

• First greenfield refinery

constructed in the US

since the 1970s

• Near Dickinson, ND

• Currently in start-up

phase

project drivers

Evaluated options:

• groundwater – only available for back-up

• surface water – poor and variable water quality

• potable water – limited availability

• wastewater – effluent from City of Dickinson, needed to create a partnership

How was the partnership created?

• The City of Dickinson was in the process of

upgrading their wastewater treatment plant

• DPR and Dickinson had a conversation at a regional

water meeting, came to an understanding

• Determined financial and ownership agreements,

where the transfer of responsibility is, who was

paying for and constructing what, timelines, etc.

• DPR purchases treated wastewater from Dickinson

selected water source

City of Dickinson wastewater

effluent was selected as the

source for industrial water.

water will be used for:

• cooling

• boiler feed

• fire fighting (backup)

• washdown

• general, non-potable

uses

project infrastructure

• forcemain from WWTP

to the refinery, with

extra capacity for

future users

• treatment plant for

microbial control

• treated water storage

• level of treatment

based on end use and

public health risks

lessons learned: DPR/ Dickinson Partnership

• The partnership details

took a long time to

finalize

• There were lots of

changes: which

organizations were

involved, timelines,

project constraints

• Need to have a good

working relationship

stormwater use:

Target Field Station (The Interchange)

A Multi-Modal Transportation Hub

Target Field Station

challenges: urban site with competing

demands and stormwater requirements

Target

Field

project drivers

• poor infiltration and contaminated soils

• stormwater requirements

• strict limitations on stormwater discharge

(difficulty acquiring permits)

industrial end user

Source: http://whyfiles.org/

Hennepin Energy Recovery Center

(HERC)

• Burns nearly 365,000 tons of municipal solid waste generating enough electricity for 25,000 homes and steam for the downtown district energy system

• Significant water user for cooling and other various processes in the facility

• 24/7 operation

partnerships

• Project owner (Hennepin County) already owned the HERC facility, though a private company manages it (Covanta)

• Covanta had already identified processes that could utilize lower quality water

partnerships

• Minneapolis was the permitting authority, was involved in conceptual design review and was supportive of a water reuse project

• MWMO was a granting authority, supportive of water reuse projects, and was consulted on “green” features for the project

conceptual design of the stormwater

management system

final design

Target

Field

Design-Build by Knutsen Construction and Perkins-Eastman, with SEH and others

stormwater use at the HERC facility

• Above-Ground Cisterns:

• total capacity = 40,000 gal

• optimized to capture up to the 90th Percentile Storm

Event

• Year-round function (snowmelt system), used for a variety

of processes, including attempuration and ash dust control.

• Over 1 million gallons per year of stormwater runoff used

Source: http://www.ballparkauthority.com/Target_Field_Station_Cisterns.html

representative of a trend

redeveloping industrial sites with:

• poor infiltration and contaminated soils

• stormwater requirements

• strict limitations on stormwater discharge (difficulty acquiring permits)

• using potable water for processes that can use lower water quality

• sometimes paired with neighboring irrigation projects

• interesting partnerships facilitate the project

lessons learned: Target Field Station (The

Interchange)

• if partners are interested enough, fast track

reuse projects are possible

• involving permitting and granting agencies

in the design and review of the project

(early in the process!) can be helpful

• be sure to talk to the folks who will have to

operate your project!

• a “good stewardship story” is valuable

rainwater and stormwater use:

Maplewood Mall

project drivers

• public education

• stormwater management

• corporate sustainability principles

How was the partnership formed?

• Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District

had identified that large impervious surfaces

were a problem for Kohlman Lake.

• Maplewood Mall is a large impervious surface.

• RWMWD approached the Mall in 2007 with the

idea of partnering on a green infrastructure

project

• Relationship was strengthened over the course of

many years

• 55 rainwater gardens (19 of which have enhanced sand filters)

• 6,733 sf permeable pavers

• 1 mile of tree trenches

• 375 trees

• A 5,700 gal cistern that catches roof runoff

• 20 million gallons of storm water per year intercepted from the parking lot (67% of total)

Maplewood Mall Stormwater Retrofit Overview

interactive cistern water sculpture

Maplewood Mall cistern level monitoring 2013

Cistern capacity: 5,700 gallons

• 55 rainwater gardens (19 of which have enhanced sand filters)

• 6,733 sf permeable pavers

• 1 mile of tree trenches

• 375 trees

• A 5,700 gal cistern that catches roof runoff

• 20 million gallons of storm water per year intercepted from the parking lot (67% of total)

Questions?

For more information, contact Tina or Erin at tina@rwmwd.org or eandersonwenz@barr.comPhoto courtesy of Barr Engineering Company

Maplewood Mall cistern level monitoring 2013

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

8/11/2013 8/12/2013 8/13/2013 8/14/2013 8/15/2013 8/16/2013 8/17/2013 8/18/2013 8/19/2013 8/20/2013

Level (ft)

Pumping rate: ~ 250 gallons per dayduring Mall hours.

education: making the invisible visible

lessons learned: Maplewood Mall cistern

• Take time to really understand “the business”

you are trying to partner with

• National corporations take more time and

effort to deal with

• Develop local advocates for the project within

the corporation, but also…

• Know who the decision makers are!

Targeting

Properties for

Stormwater BMP

Retrofits

Outline● Project background and funding● Casting a very wide net (1,600+ properties)● Assess and screen using specific site characteristics ● Identify priority sites and the partner selection process● Efficient site assessments● Meeting with decision makers● Next steps: Building cost effective BMP’s throughout the

District

Partnering with: Churches

High Impervious Surface and High

Visibility

Church Process

● Pics of final Lakeview/Redeeming Love

Partnering with: Schools

Finding the Right Schools

Physical site criteria for further analysis● Public school● In priority watershed● No existing stormwater quality BMPs● Site greater than 1 acre● Storm sewer nearby (filtration vs infiltration)● Transit routes accessible● 80 schools down to 30 for site visits

Characteristics of a good partner● Interested teachers/principals/administrator’s● Strong science/engineering/ecology programs● Maintenance staff accepting of new tasks

Finding the Right Schools

Partnering with:

Commercial Properties

Commercial Sites Physical

CharacteristicsPhysical site criteria for further analysis● In priority watershed● No existing stormwater quality BMP’s● Site greater than 1 acre● Storm sewer nearby (infiltration vs filtration)● Transit routes nearby● Site not vacant or for sale● 1,500 sites down to 30 for site visits

Commercial Partner

CharacteristicsWhat makes a good partner● Locally owned preferable● Small ownership group (decision makers available)● Accepting of new maintenance tasks● Connection to multiple sites through one owner

ArcGIS Collector App - Site Visits

● iPad based software

● Highly customizable

● Easy to use in the field

Grade Sites to Create Priority ListAssess and compare sites - Grade A-F

Stormwater Quality Benefit● BMP at least 10% of contributing impervious area● Infiltration rather than filtration● . (Catch basin nearby for tie-in)● Adjacent, untreated streets could be treated by BMP

Constructability● No pavement removal required● No retaining wall or significant grading

Property Owner Concessions● No parking loss or reconfiguration of traffic● No loss of existing desirable trees or landscaping

Educational Value● Visibility

Initial Commercial Site Meetings

Photo Examples

Next Steps● Applied for FY 2015 CWF Grant

for Implementing BMPs at Commercial Sites● Goal: 10 commercial sites in next

3 years

● Apply for FY 2016 CWF Grant for Implementing BMPs at School Sites● Goal: 10 school sites in next 3

years

resources

• WateReuse Association

• MIDS calculator: harvest

and reuse

• Met Council Stormwater

Reuse Guide (2011)

• MPCA Municipal

Wastewater Reuse (2010)

• Envision Rating SystemTM

conclusions

• reuse projects are happening in the Midwest

• reuse projects can help conserve water, achieve stormwater management and sustainable water supply goals at the same time

• multi-disciplinary teams are important and must include the end user in the system design process

conclusions

• Partnering is essential for

many reuse projects

• Look for grant funding

opportunities to help

• Tell the “story” and take

the opportunity to

educate

• There are many tools to

help you imagine and

design reuse projects

discussion and questions?

• What kinds of reuse projects are you interested in?

• What do you see as the biggest hurdles to pursuing those

projects?

• Any questions?