Centralized Non-Potable Reuse Resources
Centralized non-potable reuse is when water derived offsite, such as from a community wastewater treatment plant, is appropriately treated and reused for non-potable applications. Applications can include fire protection, commercial laundries, vehicle washing, street cleaning, snowmaking, dust control, soil compaction, and other similar uses. Using recycled water for non-potable applications can conserve traditional fresh water sources, reduce the demand for new sources of water, and lessen the volume of potable water used by a community. The level of treatment needed for these non-potable applications is generally lower than for potable reuse applications, making them cost-effective strategies for sustainable supplies of water that are resilient to drought.
Water reuse is the practice of reclaiming water from a variety of sources, treating it, and reusing it for beneficial purposes. The following resources relate to centralized non-potable reuse; for information on other uses, please visit the Water Reuse Resource Hub by End-Use Application.
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Key Resources
The following are a sampling of the key water sector resources that are freely available to support water practitioners interested in developing non-potable water reuse projects. Visit the Water Reuse Information Library for additional water reuse materials.
- 2025 Risk Based Framework for Developing Microbial Treatment Targets for Water Reuse - This EPA document provides detailed scientific information that states and Tribes can use to develop risk assessments and microbial treatment targets that support safe potable and non-potable water reuse.
- Using Recycled Water for Firefighting (2021) – Recycled water can be used to supplement fire supply systems and is becoming more common in states like California that are experiencing prolonged drought. This report describes regulatory oversight of tertiary-treated recycled water use, precautions for drinking water supply protection, quality and safety of recycled water produced in LA County that can be used for firefighting, and best management practices for use of recycled water by fire departments in LA County. This report was created by Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts in collaboration with others for the Los Angeles Chapter of the WateReuse Association.
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- Technical Information Street Sweeping Guide (2011) – The San Diego County Water Authority created this guide to provide information about using recycled water for street sweeping to municipalities, cities, water purveyors, and agencies.
State Water Reuse Regulations and Guidelines
The following states developed guidelines and/or regulations for other centralized non-potable reuse applications. Click the links from the REUSExplorer to review summary documents, which include the state regulations authorizing the use of recycled water for centralized non-potable reuse applications, water quality and treatment specifications, definitions, and more!
Project Examples
Fairfax, Virginia reuses water for landscaping and industrial cooling water
Fairfax County reuses its treated municipal wastewater for centralized non-potable applications (such as commercial car washing, construction, and street cleaning). Key reasons for pursuing reuse included: to treat wastewater for a growing population without costly upgrades to its municipal wastewater treatment plant, to reduce nutrient discharges to the Chesapeake Bay; to meet TMDL requirements, and to lower the demand on potable water supplies by using reclaimed water for non-potable uses.
Developed by GHD in October 2023