South Tahoe PUD to host public meeting on Recycled Water Strategic Plan

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) is developing a Recycled Water Strategic Plan to analyze options and establish a roadmap for managing recycled water in the future. Attend the public meeting to learn about the outcomes and ask questions. The meeting will be on Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in South Tahoe Public Utility District’s Board Room, located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive.

STPUD began exporting recycled water to Alpine County in 1967 to comply with state and federal laws. This requirement is unique to the Tahoe region and requires a significant amount of energy to pump recycled water over a mountain pass. There have been significant advances in and acceptances of water reuse over the last fifty years. As such, the development of the Recycled Water Strategic Plan re-evaluates current operations and practices to identify the best ways to process and use recycled water in the future.

“The District wants to ensure that it's continually operating its recycled water systems in the most efficient and effective way,” said Paul Hughes.

The District collects, treats, and recycles wastewater from the South Lake Tahoe region. An average of 3.9 million gallons per day of recycled water is pumped 26 miles to Woodfords, California where it is stored in Harvey Place Reservoir and released in summer months to be used by ranchers and the District for irrigation.

In addition to recycling 100 percent of its wastewater, STPUD also recycles 100 percent of its biosolids as fertilizer with Bently Agrodynamics in Douglas County, Nevada. The District produces 381,000kW annually in hydroelectricity as recycled water flows from the top of Luther Pass 2,200 feet down into Alpine County.

To learn more, attend the public meeting. For more information, visit www.stpud.us/recycled-water-strategic-plan.