WATER RECLAMATION AND REUSE CRITERIA IN THE US

Increasing demands on water resources for domestic, commercial, indust rial, and agricultural purposes have made water reclamation and reuse an attractive option for conserving and extending available water supp lies. Also, many water reuse projects are implemented to eliminate a s ource of contamination in surface waters or as a least-cost alternativ e to meeting stringent discharge requirements. Reclaimed water applica tions range from pasture irrigation to augmentation of potable water s upplies. Water reclamation and reuse criteria are principally directed at health protection, There are no federal regulations governing wate r reuse in the U.S.; hence, the regulatory burden rests with the indiv idual states, This has resulted in differing standards among states th at have developed criteria. This paper summarizes and compares the cri teria from some states that have developed comprehensive regulations. Guidelines published by the US, EPA and the rationale behind them are presented for numerous types of reclaimed water applications. Copyrigh t (C) 1996 IAWQ. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.