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Department of Ecology News Release - January 23, 2002
02-012
OLYMPIA - The city of Yelm tonight will receive the Environmental Excellence Award for successfully reclaiming and re-using 100 percent of its treated wastewater.
The award is the state's highest honor for work that benefits the environment, according to Linda Hoffman, deputy director of the Department of Ecology. Hoffmann will present the award to Yelm Mayor Adam Rivas at tonight's city council meeting.
"Yelm is a role model to the rest of Washington's cities. As the competition for water heats up among people, fish and business uses, re-using water is the way to go," Hoffmann said.
Yelm reclaims all of its waste water to irrigate landscaping at churches, parks, a football field and one residence. The water also is added to streams and is used to recharge water underground at a city wetland park that includes a catch-and-release fish pond for rainbow trout.
Currently, the community re-uses 200,000 gallons of water a day, and eventually expects to re-use up to 1 million gallons of water a day.
A great side benefit of re-using water is that it allows the city to extend the life of its drinking water, Hoffmann said.
Sequim in Clallam County and Ephrata in Grant County have demonstrated other similar water re-use successes, she added.
Most cities discard their treated waste water on land or in water under the requirements of Department of Ecology permits.
The Environmental Excellence Award is given to individuals, businesses or groups that exemplify model behavior for the overall benefit of the environment.
(Note to editors: Reporters are welcome to attend the meeting, which will be held at City Hall, 105 Yelm Ave. W.)
Media contacts: Sandy Howard, public information manager, 360-407-6239 Adam Rivas, Yelm mayor, 360-458-8401Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
