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Reclaimed Water and Water Rights Impairment Advisory Committee

Legislation in 2006 directed Ecology and Department of Health to review and address all aspects of reclaimed water in Washington State.  Additional legislation was proposed in 2007 directing Ecology to address the specific issue of reclaimed water and water rights.  Ecology established the Reclaimed Water and Water Rights Impairment Advisory Committee to assist the agency in examining water right issues and finding appropriate solutions.

Parties have expressed an interest in impairment of existing water rights and the potential use of reclaimed water as mitigation for new water rights as two topics to be addressed.

A report with recommendations is due to the legislature and the Governor by the end of 2007.  Additional work will likely be needed to fully review and address the issues.

Meetings

May 13, 2008 - Lacey AmeriTel INN 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM  Directions and Map

• Agenda  including call in number
• Presentation on topics to be discussed
• Workplan status (this simply reformats the “Committee Questions and Issues” sent out on April 21)
• Copy of the impairment guidance (same document that has been distributed before)

April 8, 2008 - Tukwila Labor and Industries 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM Directions and Map

• Agenda, including call in number
• Meeting Notes - Final
• Impairment review for instream flows
• Options for triggering review if no instream flows exist

March 18, 2008 – 9:30 AM to Noon

• Agenda, including call in number
• Meeting Notes - Final
• Guidance and statutory changes recommended so far
• Instream flows and TMDLs
• Strawman for proposed process to make OCPI decisions
• Committee’s Workplan (generated at the December meeting)

January 8, 2008 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM

• Agenda, including call in number
• Meeting notes -Final
• Presentation on use of the words “existing” and “downstream” in the impairment standard
• Presentation on upstream impairment scenarios - Tom Ring
• Guidance flowchart with comparison of the proposed process in E2SSB 6117
• Advisory committee Workplan
• Comparison of Workplan and E2SSB 6117 tasks

December 11, 2007 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM

• Agenda - includes directions and call in number
• Meeting notes
• Flowchart for reclaimed water and instream flow project review (OCPI determinations)
• Committee questions and issues

November 19, 2007 - 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM 

• Agenda - includes directions and call in number
• Guidance flowchart
• Puget Sound sewage treatment plants (marine discharge versus freshwater)
• Wastewater treatment plants and instream flows map
• PowerPoint presentation on OCPI and impairment
• Carnation Reclaimed Water Impairment Analysis

October 3, 2007 9:30 AM to 3:15 PM

• Agenda
• Report outline with edits
• Issues and questions draft #2
• Statutory language for Overriding Considerations of the Public Interest (OCPI)
• Mitigation Measures Used in Water Right Permitting (summary of mitigation measures used in the past) 

September 14, 2007

• Agenda - includes directions
• Reclaimed Water and Water Rights Advisory Committee Policy Questions - September 14, 2007 Draft
• Water Right Impairment in Reclamation and Reuse: How Other Western States Can Inform Washington Law

August 27, 2007

• Meeting summary
• Agenda
  • Reclaimed water impairment analysis guidance
  • Impairment Guidance Flowchart
  • Evergreen Valley  Pat Deneen
  • Just Compensation and Eminent Domain  - Kurt Unger, Ecology
  • Carnation Wastewater Treatment Facility  - Steve Tolzman
  • SB 6117
  • What is an Instream Flow?  - Brad Caldwell, Ecology

August 3, 2007

• Agenda
• Draft meeting notes
• 1996 attorney survey on reclaimed water and impairment in other states
• Ecology PowerPoint
• Jay Austin PowerPoint
• Tom Ring PowerPoint
• Yakama Nation
• Statute and rule sections
• Reclaimed water impairment analysis guidance