Recycling Treated Municipal Wastewater for Industrial Water Use

Section 2
Implementation Considerations
are: the source of reclaimed water is of adequate quality for these uses and is
available for these uses; reclaimed water may be furnished for these uses at a
reasonable cost to the user; after concurrence with the State Department of Health
Services, the use of reclaimed water from the proposed source will not be detrimental
to public health; and use of reclaimed water for these uses will not adversely affect
downstream water rights, will not degrade water quality, and is determined not to be
injurious to plant life, fish and wildlife.
The Water Code mandates that no person or public agency shall use water from any
source or quality suitable for potable domestic use for nonpotable uses if suitable
reclaimed water is available and meets the conditions stated above. Other sections of
the code allow for mandating reclaimed water use for irrigation of residential
landscaping, industrial cooling applications, and toilet and urinal flushing in
nonresidential buildings. Some local jurisdictions in the state have taken action to
require the use of reclaimed water in certain situations.
U.S. EPA Guidelines for Water Reuse
In recognition of the increasing role of water reuse as an integral component of the
nation's water resources management – and to facilitate the orderly planning, design,
and implementation of water reuse projects – the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), in conjunction with the U.S. Agency for International Development,
published Guidelines for Water Reuse in 1992 [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
1992]. The U.S. EPA took the position that national water reuse standards were not
necessary and comprehensive guidelines, coupled with flexible state regulations, would
foster increased consideration and implementation of water reuse projects.
The guidelines were updated in 2004 [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004] to
include technological advances, research data, and other information generated in the
last decade. The guidelines address various aspects of water reuse and include
recommended treatment processes, reclaimed water quality limits, monitoring
frequencies, setback distances, and other controls for various water reuse
applications. The suggested guidelines for wastewater treatment and reclaimed water
quality are presented in Appendix B.
It is explicitly stated in the Guidelines for Water Reuse that the recommended treatment
unit processes and water quality limits presented in the guidelines “are not intended
to be used as definitive water reclamation and reuse criteria. They are intended to
provide reasonable guidance for water reuse opportunities, particularly in states that
have not developed their own criteria or guidelines.” [U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, 2004].
Water Reuse Criteria for Industrial Uses
Water reuse criteria are principally directed at health and environmental protection
and do not typically include water quality requirements that are unrelated to health
and environmental protection. Examples of reclaimed water quality requirements for
2-12 Craddock Consulting Engineers
In Association with CDM & James Crook
TM1-Sec2_0707.doc