Revised AWWA Policy Statement on Reclaimed Water for Public Water Supply Purposes (Proposed title change: AWWA Policy Statement on Water Reuse)

The AWWA Policy Statement on Reclaimed Water for Public Water Supply Purposes was revised and approved by the Technical and Educational Council. The latest revision is now available for member comment.  

Comments on the policy statement will be reviewed by AWWA staff and forwarded to the Executive Committee if the comments are minor, or referred back to the originating body if the comments are substantive. Policies forwarded to the Executive Committee will be reviewed for approval and final action.

Revised AWWA Policy Statement on Reclaimed Water for Public Water Supply Purposes (Proposed title change: AWWA Policy Statement on Water Reuse)

AWWA recognizes the need for reliable and sustainable water supply resources considering factors such as drought, competition with other users, increasing water demand due to population growth, climate change impacts, ecological needs, and increasing water scarcity. With proper planning and coordination, recycled water produced through appropriate treatment, monitoring, instrumentation and control, water quality practices can be a resource for broadening the water supply portfolio of utilities.

AWWA recognizes the value of water reuse as a sustainable supplement to a region’s water resources. Water reuse to augment supplies is used for agricultural, industrial, ecological, and other non-potable uses within a public or private drinking water supplier’s service area and has been successfully implemented in many places. Where viable, the implementation of water recycling for direct and indirect uses to augment water supplies (e.g. groundwater basins, drinking water reservoirs, raw water sources, finished water supplies) is a cost-effective strategy to protect public health and the environment. This approach is feasible so long as all regulatory requirements are met through the appropriate levels of treatment, monitoring, and demonstrated technical, managerial and financial capacity.

AWWA encourages the cost-effective and efficient use of potable water and recycled water as well as continued research to improve reuse treatment technologies, enhance fit-for-purpose specifications, optimize water quality management, refine monitoring techniques, and expand applications to further the increased and safe use of recycled water.

AWWA encourages communities to expand their water supply portfolios to incorporate water reuse in a way that is environmentally sound and protective of downstream users. AWWA urges water and wastewater utilities to be inclusive of industrial water stewardship and engage in watershed scale collaboration when coordinating the planning of water reuse projects. 

Practices specified in this policy statement are consistent with other pertinent AWWA policy statements.

Adopted by the Board of Directors June 18, 1971, and revised June 25, 1978, and January 26, 1986, and January 22, 1995, and June 13, 2004, and January 17, 2010, and January 19, 2014, and June 2018.

Submit comments by June 28, 2025.