Water Reuse

AWWA Policy Statement on Water Reuse

AWWA recognizes the need for reliable and sustainable water supply resources considering factors such as drought, water scarcity, population growth, and climate change. Increasing water demand to support water-intensive industries is also putting added pressure on water resources and water utilities in many areas. With proper planning and coordination, recycled water produced through appropriate treatment, monitoring, instrumentation and control, and 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. Public and private water utilities are increasingly relying on water reuse to augment supplies for agricultural, industrial, ecological, and other non-potable uses.  Where viable, the implementation of water recycling is also being used to support direct and indirect potable reuse by augmenting water supplies such as groundwater basins, drinking or surface water reservoirs, raw water sources, and finished water supplies. Water reuse is often a cost-effective strategy to supplement water resources and protect public health and the environment 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 use of innovative, safe and cost-effective technologies to foster the use of recycled water as a central consideration of any water resource management strategy. This requires continued research to improve reuse treatment technologies, enhance fit-for-purpose specifications, optimize water quality management, refine monitoring techniques, and expand applications of recycled water and its constituents or by-products.

AWWA encourages communities to expand their water supply portfolios by incorporating water reuse in a way that is economically feasible, environmentally sound and protective of downstream users. AWWA encourages proactive planning and coordination among water and wastewater utilities, industrial water users, and other relevant stakeholders when evaluating and implementing water reuse strategies.

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; January 26, 1986; January 22, 1995; June 13, 2004; January 17, 2010; January 19, 2014; June 2018; and June 19, 2026.