The city's water reuse project begins at the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant where chlorine is added after wastewater has been treated at the facility.
Harold Burris, superintendent of the River Road Wastewater Treatment Plant, talks about the digital equipment used to closely monitor the levels of chlorine before the water begins the journey to the Cypress Water Treatment Plant.
A large pump is used to draw the treated wastewater out of the system and send it on a 12-mile journey to the Cypress Water Treatment Plant. Before the reuse project began, the water was discharged into the Wichita River at this point. The amount of water being added back into the water supply equals between one-third and one-half of the city's consumption.
Using a high-density polyethylene pipeline, the water makes its way across town following Holliday Creek for much of the route.
Along the way, the pipeline project passes through the north side of Lake Wichita Park in route to the Cypress Water Treatment Plant.
At the Cypress Water Treatment Plant, the 65,000-foot long pipeline connects to the treatment system where it will be turned into potable water.
A membrane clarifier combines ferric sulfate and polymer with the water to begin the removal of particles, known as turbidity.
The next step is microfiltration where the water flows through modules containing fibers with pores so small they catch most of the impurities.
The water then travels through the reverse osmosis section of the treatment process which uses a permeable membrane that only allows the water molecule to pass through. Salts and other contaminants are flushed away.
The water is then pumped into a lagoon that will hold it until it is mixed with water from our reservoirs, Lake Arrowhead and Lake Kickapoo.
At the blending box, the reuse water is mixed with our traditional water sources and begins conventional treatment processing.
The water passes through the Parshall flume where coagulants are added.
Lime and iron are added to the water in a process known as flocculation where particles in the water combine with one another forming larger particles which will settle out of the water further down the line.
In the recarbonation basin, carbon dioxide is added to reduce the pH of the water.
Daniel Nix, operations manager, looks into the granular filter basins where the water passes through sand and coal which traps suspended solids.
Large pumps draw water from the clearwell where chlorine is added and sends it to the storage tank. However, at this point of the process, the pipeline is taken offline during the mandatory 45-day full-scale testing of the system as outlined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Once the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality signs off on this method of reusing millions of gallons of water, the water will go to this 10-million gallon storage tank. Until the process is approved by the state agency, the city must still send the treated water down the Wichita River.
During the 45-day testing phase of the water reuse project, the water flows into a standard recovery well before being released. If the state agency that regulates water quality approves the method, millions of gallons can be added to our water supply, easing the strain on our lakes.
