The City of Cheney obtains its drinking water solely from a series of groundwater wells.  As population grows, and the demand for potable water increases, the City is investigating the potential of producing Class A reclaimed water from the City's Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Plant (WTRP) for irrigation of parks and athletic fields within Cheney.  

It is estimated that offsetting the city's well water use by 1.0 million gallons per day (MGD) of reclaimed water for irrigation from June through September will reduce the expected aquifer decline from 11 feet to 7 feet by 2026 (Buchanan, J.P., 2007).

A Reclaimed Water Engineering Report was prepared by Esvelt Environmental Engineering in September 2016 to:

• Identify potential use sites for reclaimed water;
• Evaluate the environmental effects of the application of reclaimed water and the impacts from diversion of WTRP effluent for reuse;
• Evaluate the existing and potential performance of the WTRP and its ability to produce Class A reclaimed water;
• Analyze feasible treatment alternatives for the WTRP to produce Class A reclaimed water;
• Identify the regulatory framework and requirements entailed in the use of reclaimed water by the City;
• Provide a Use Management Plan for identified areas that are proposed to receive reclaimed water;
• Estimate the anticipated capital and ongoing operation and maintenance costs, funding sources, and user charges that will arise due to the production and application of Class A reclaimed water.

Download and review the Reclaimed Water Engineering Report here.