Public encouraged to provide input on Recycled Water Strategic Plan

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Tahoe Public Utility District (District) is developing a Recycled Water Strategic Plan to analyze options and establish a future roadmap for managing recycled water in the future. This meeting will provide an overview of alternatives being considered, the status of the evaluation process, and provide time for questions. To learn about and offer input, attend the public meeting on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at South Tahoe Public Utility District Board Room, 1275 Meadow Crest Drive.

The District 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 Recycled Water Strategic Plan will help shape the District’s long-term operations,” said Steve Caswell, principal engineer, and project manager for the plan. “I encourage the community to attend to learn why we do what we do, how we navigate the regulatory maze for wastewater in Tahoe, and provide input on alternatives being considered for the future.”

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 Alpine County 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, the District 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 on Tuesday, May 23 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at South Tahoe Public Utility District Board Room located at 1275 Meadow Crest Drive, South Lake Tahoe. For more information, visit www.stpud.us/recycled-water-strategic-plan. If you are unable to attend in person, join on your device tinyurl.com/27dprc8u or call in (audio only) +1
332-249-0500, Code: 249 995 65#.