Page 19 - NSAA 2017 Fall Journal

As ski resorts scale up their snowmaking oper-
ations to extend or buffer their season length, inexpensive and
reliable water supplies become ever more crucial to the industry.
Reclaimed water is a prime source that can fill this niche.
A 2015 NSAA member survey showed that 12 percent of 107
responding resorts are already using reclaimed water for snow-
making. Since then two additional resorts, Soda Springs Resort,
Calif., and Massanutten Resort, Va., have initiated reclaimed
water use in snowmaking, based in part on guidance from
Arizona Snowbowl, Ariz., an industry leader in this area.
As discussed earlier this year during the NSAA Convention
session, “Reclaimed Water – Making Every Drop Count,” the results
have been highly successful for these three resorts, both economi-
cally and environmentally. But is using reclaimed water an option
for all resorts? This article walks through the main considerations
for evaluating if this is a good fit for your operations, using the three
case studies to highlight different solutions based on the unique
challenges and opportunities for each resort.

What Is Reclaimed Water
& Is It Drought-proof?
Reclaimed water is domestic wastewater that has been recycled
one or more times before being returned to the national water
system. Without additional water supplies for snowmaking in
the coming decades, resorts may become vulnerable to a short-
ened season length over the next 30 years. Snowmaking with
reclaimed water can buffer resorts against these risks.
Reclaimed water is arguably drought-proof because it relies
on the waste stream of another process of human consumption
instead of drawing from additional freshwater supplies. Because
of this, reclaimed water isn’t typically included in drought
restrictions placed on conventional water supplies.
Snowmaking with reclaimed water can also be a water
storage strategy (and therefore a climate adaptation strategy), as
it is cheaper than constructing large surface water reservoirs or
building lagoon treatment sites, according to the Environmental
Protection Agency. 1
Here are various terms used to describe reclaimed water,
depending on its use:
Reused water—reclaimed water that has been put to ben-
eficial use
Potable water—reclaimed water that is safe to use for human
consumption
Non-potable water—non-drinking water that is safe for things
such as snowmaking
Indirect reuse—reclaimed water discharged to an environmen-
tal buffer, such as a river, before the blended water is introduced
into a water supply
Direct reuse—reclaimed water introduced directly into a water
supply system 2

FALL 2017 | NSAA JOURNAL | 17