The month of October brings with it spooky traditions and there’s one ancient practice that adds a touch of magic to the season: water witching.
Reclaimed water, often referred to as recycled water and or water reuse, is treated or renewed wastewater used for a variety of purposes.
Common uses include irrigation, refilling groundwater reservoirs and aquifers, and flushing toilets. With higher levels of treatment, recycled water can even make its way to taps as drinking water.
In 1993, National Geographic said, “All the water that will ever be is right now,” referencing the limited resource and the natural recycling process that occurs through the cycle of rain, evaporation, melting glaciers, and so on.
It’s in this same spirit and understanding that municipalities all over the world are reclaiming their used water and responsibly managing their natural resources.
Why Recycled Water?

The benefits and necessities of recycling water have proven themselves again and again. The main reason for recycling or reclaiming water is scarcity—the lack of water to meet the population’s needs.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), other driving forces behind the popularization of recycled water are:
- Population growth. More people means more water is needed for cleaning, growing food, drinking, flushing toilets, cooling machinery, and watering livestock.
- Pollution. When contaminated water containing harmful pollutants is disposed of without treatment, our environment and our community’s health suffers. Treating water to a high level can reduce or eliminate this concern.
- Climate Change. Water supplies are more vulnerable than ever before. A warmer climate means soil struggles to retain moisture, buildings require more cooling, and above-ground water storage is more susceptible to evaporation. Each of these requires more water. In addition, flood, drought, and reduced snowpack mean water availability has become more unpredictable. Investing in proper infrastructure for a sustainable water supply is critical.
With the proliferation of recycled water, more and more people are moving towards sustainable water solutions. According to the WateReuse Association, the country’s only trade association dedicated to advancing water reuse laws, policy, and funding, it’s estimated that 4.8 billion gallons of water are reused daily in the United States. That number is estimated to grow by 37% in 2027.
The takeaway is this: Water reuse programs create a drought-resilient water supply that provides a safe, reliable source of drinking water for communities and protects the environment from harmful pollutants.
Sources and Uses of Recycled Water

Multiple sources of water can be reclaimed or reused, including:
• Municipal Wastewater. This is water from town or city sewage.
• Industry Process and Cooling Water. Industrial facilities often require precise temperature control. The water used for heating and/or cooling is referred to as “Process Water.”
• Stormwater. This is rain or melted snow that flows into storm drains.
• Agriculture Runoff. Following irrigation of agricultural fields, water soaks into groundwater systems or runs off the land into bodies of water or designated runoff basins. It’s then collected through an array of different methods to undergo treatment or reuse onsite.
• “Produced Water” from Natural Resource Extraction. Oil and gas reservoirs often have groundwater mixed in. When pumped to the surface, that groundwater must be treated before it can be disposed of safely.
But what about water from creeks, rivers, or streams? This is called “surface water” and, while it has its own specialized treatment process, is not considered recycled water.
The recycled water process begins by removing it from the original source and sending it to treatment facilities. Those facilities then process the water to the specifications needed for its intended beneficial use.
This is called “fit-for-purpose specifications,” and it encompasses all the requirements needed to protect public health and the environment.
For example, reclaimed water with the intended beneficial use of crop irrigation must meet quality standards that remove contaminants and protect the food, soil, and farm workers who handle the water.
Another example of “fit-for-purpose specifications” is water intended for drinking. Water pulled from the original source is piped to a treatment plant with multiple stages of cleaning and sanitization. These processes often include ozone treatment, an organic carbon filtration system, ultra-violet light, and more to meet safety standards set by Federal and State regulations.
In addition to watering crops and drinking water, recycled water is also used to:
- Replenish bodies of water like rivers, lakes, and streams.
- Restore groundwater and aquifer levels.
- Help control dust during construction.
- Cool and heat temperature-controlled systems.
- Irrigate landscapes.
- Flush toilets.
In a broader sense, when you recall the water cycle lessons from grade school, it becomes clear that all water is reclaimed water. There is not more made every day; all we have is what exists on earth now and since the beginning of time.
With the help of modern technology and infrastructure, humans began harnessing the water cycle in the mid-1900s, speeding it up and controlling it to serve us when and where we need it. This ingenuity has led to human-led recycled water processes that exist alongside nature’s own system, allowing us the power to help address the globe’s most challenging water problems today.
How Do Water Reclamation Systems Work?

There are two types of potable recycled water systems, Indirect Potable Use (IPR), and Direct Potable Use (DPR).
- Indirect Potable Use: Water that is treated and then released back into the local river, stream, reservoir, or groundwater aquifer.
Releasing treated water into environmental sources is often referred to as an “environmental buffer.” Mixing with surface water or additional filtration through the ground further purifies and dilutes the treated water and replenishes local water sources. The highly-treated recycled water is also remineralized through nature before eventually undergoing an additional treatment process to meet drinking water standards.
- Direct Potable Use: Water that is treated and pumped into drinking water systems.
This water goes through a more highly sophisticated, often longer, treatment process to ensure the water meets or exceeds drinking water quality standards. This reduces pressure on scarce reservoirs and water supplies.
This video developed by the Colorado School of Mines illustrates the difference between both types of potable reclaimed water systems.
Recycled Water Regulations
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) doesn’t directly restrict any type of water reuse in the United States. Rather, two laws primarily guide the regulations behind state, tribe, and local government-led recycled water initiatives, and they are enforced by the EPA. Those are:
- The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
This law gives the EPA the right to set standards for drinking water quality in the United States. Since its passing in 1974, the EPA has set standards for over 90 contaminants, effectively protecting 92% of the population that relies on community water systems. - The Clean Water Act (CWA)
The CWA is the primary legislation that controls pollution and maintains lakes, rivers, and streams in the United States. Since its establishment under the original name “Federal Water Quality Pollution Control Act” in 1948, the Act has seen numerous amendments. The largest amendment took place in 1972 and made it the robust set of regulations that it is today.
Taken together, these two laws set high marks for governments and water districts interested in recycled water infrastructure.
Partner with Water Systems Consulting (WSC) for Your Water Reuse Project
WSC is an integrated water engineering and strategic communications firm creating high-quality solutions to the water problems facing communities today.
Over the last 15 years, WSC has led or played a key role in several high-profile water reuse projects across California, including Replenish Big Bear, VenturaWaterPure, Pure Water Soquel, North Pleasant Valley Desalter, Chino Basin Program, Cayucos Sustainable Water Project, SLO Water+, and Central Coast Blue.
WSC CEO and Founder, Jeff Szytel, said:
“We are building upon the tradition and success of the past but are not tied down by the legacy of our industry. We ask these basic questions: ‘What does long-term value look like, and what needs to be done to deliver it?’ Some start with describing the constraints… WSC starts with imagining the possibilities.”
Jeff Szytel, WSC CEO and Founder
We’re on a mission to Create a Better Water Future® where all water is valued and water systems are celebrated for supporting the vitality of our communities and environment. Let’s partner to bring this mission to life!