When you wash your hands, take a shower, or run the dishwasher, have you ever wondered where that water goes?
Most of us never think about it once it disappears down the drain. But thanks to an innovative project here in Cedar Valley, that water can serve a second purpose.
The Water Reuse Project helps Cedar Valley Water Conservancy make the most of every drop by capturing treated reuse water and putting it to work for irrigation. This recycling process allows us to clean the water and use it again for outdoor purposes, saving groundwater for the indoor needs that matter most, like drinking, cooking, and bathing.
Located at the Cedar City Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, the process begins after wastewater has gone through multiple stages of treatment to meet strict state standards. Rather than being discharged, the reclaimed water is captured, stored, and prepared for approved irrigation uses, i.e. parks, schools, golf courses, cemeteries, churches, and other large landscaped areas.
The impact is significant. The project is expected to offset nearly 3 million gallons of culinary water every day during the irrigation season, that’s about 9 acre-feet a day, or nearly 4,000 acre-feet a year. Every gallon of reclaimed water used for irrigation is one less gallon pumped from the Cedar Valley aquifer, moving the valley closer to long-term groundwater sustainability.
This project is part of a larger strategy that includes conservation, aquifer recharge, and developing additional water supplies to meet the needs of a growing community. Together, these efforts help ensure Cedar Valley has a resilient, reliable water supply for generations to come.
For years, nearly three million gallons of water flowed into the wastewater treatment plant each day it was treated, then discharged and lost. Now, thanks to the Water Reuse Project, that same three million gallons goes back into the system instead, becoming part of the solution. By reusing water safely and responsibly, we’re protecting our aquifer, conserving drinking water, and making every drop count.
Because sometimes, the smartest way to conserve water is to use it twice.
| 💧 Get to Know Your H₂O — Did You Know? The Cedar Valley Water Reuse Project is expected to conserve nearly 4,000 acre-feet of culinary water each year by providing highly treated reclaimed water for irrigation instead of using drinking water. |
Sources
- Cedar Valley Water Conservancy – Phase One of Effluent Reuse Project Complete: Delivering Significant Water Savings for Cedar Valley Aquifer
- Utah Department of Environmental Quality – Water Reuse Program
- Cedar Valley Water Conservancy – Newsroom
We’re all in this together, and we’re here to help — reach out anytime you have questions about Cedar Valley’s water future.
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The purpose of our Get To Know Your H2O series is to educate our community on all things water. Cedar Valley Water Conservancy (CVWC) is actively engaged in education, conservation, reuse and import projects to meet the growing demands on local water supply.
For every effort you make to conserve, you are doing your part, too. To Get to Know Your H2O, visit https://cedarvalleywaterutah.gov.