Summary of Indiana's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Landscaping
This page is part of the EPA’s REUSExplorer tool, which summarizes the different state level regulations or guidelines for water reuse for a variety of sources and end-uses.
The source waters for this summary are Treated Municipal Wastewater, Stormwater and Industry Process Water.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Water reuse for landscaping approved for use in Indiana
- Water reuse treatment category for landscaping
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for landscaping specifications (table)
- Upcoming state law or policy
- References
- Disclaimer
This page is a summary of the state’s water reuse law or policy and is provided for informational purposes only. Please always refer to the state for the most accurate and updated information.
In Indiana, water reuse for water reuse for landscapingThe use of recycled water on land to assist in the irrigation of vegetation in residential and non-residential areas. Includes impoundments to store water for irrigation , ornamental vegetation, parks, school yards, sporting facilities (including golf courses), private gardens, roadsides and greenbelts, and cemeteries. Excludes irrigation of areas used for agriculture, commercial reuse applications, or any centralized non-potable reuse. includes athletic fields, golf courses and cemeteries. The sources of water treated municipal wastewater Treated wastewater effluent discharged from a centralized wastewater treatment plant of any size. Other terms referring to this source of water include domestic wastewater, treated wastewater effluent, reclaimed water, and treated sewage., stormwaterPrecipitation that is collected from land or impervious surfaces at a district or regional scale for the purpose of beneficial reuse. Rainwater collection at the building scale is classified separately under 'onsite collected waters.’ and industry process water Water produced during industrial and manufacturing processes. Other terms referring to this source of water include air handling condensate, boiler, cooling or wash water, and water generated during oil and natural gas extraction. are specified by the state as domestic wastewater, industrial storm water and industrial process wastewater. This write-up uses state terms when discussing sources or uses of water that may differ from the Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer's (REUSExplorer's) terms.
Check out how Indiana uses stormwater for agriculture.
Indiana uses stormwater for a variety of applications, including landscaping and agriculture. Browse the agriculture summary page.
Technical basis
Indiana approves the application of domestic wastewater, or industrial storm water, or industrial process wastewater on land with a high potential for public exposure (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1) and land with a low potential for public exposure on a case-by-case basis. All applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.), including its implementing regulations, must be met in addition to any relevant rule requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) (124 Stat. 3885). Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators for water reuse for landscaping and are summarized in the table below. The technical basis for developing the specifications and/or removals of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators is not explicitly specified.
Water reuse for landscaping approved for use in Indiana
327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1 defines the following approved water reuse for landscaping, as the irrigation of:
- Athletic fields (land with a high potential for public exposure)
- Golf courses (land with a high potential for public exposure)
- Cemeteries (land with a high potential for public exposure)
Water reuse treatment category for landscaping
The treatment requirements for land application of domestic wastewater, industrial storm water, or industrial process wastewater are briefly summarized below for landscaping in areas with high potential for public exposure:
- Domestic wastewater, or industrial storm water, or industrial process wastewater must undergo secondary treatment and any additional treatment (which may include disinfection) necessary to produce effluent that meets all treatment requirements and performance standards that have been established for areas with low high potential for public exposure (327 Ind. Admin Code 6.1). In areas with low and high potential for public exposure, only secondary treatment is required (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1). These treatment requirements and performance standards vary for areas with low potential for public exposure and high potential for public exposure, respectively (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1).
- Treatment processes must include: activated sludge processes; trickling filters; rotating biological contactors; stabilization pond systems; or other secondary treatment approved by the commissioner in the permit (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1).
- For domestic wastewater, disinfection can include: chlorination; ozonation; chemical disinfectants; UV irradiation; membrane processes; or other processes approved by the commissioner in the permit (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1).
Additional context and definitions
Industrial process wastewater is defined as liquid waste that is generated by industrial or commercial facilities, does not contain domestic sewage and contains less than one percent total solids (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1). Examples of industrial process wastewater include wash water from egg breaking and washing facilities, butchering operations and pharmaceutical processes.
“Land with a high potential for public exposure” is defined as land that does not have restricted access, is easily accessible to the public or is used by the public during normal work or recreational activities (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1). “Land with a low potential for public exposure” is defined as land that has restricted access, is inaccessible to the public or is not used by the public during normal work or recreational activities (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1). Indiana requires that public access to land with a low potential for public exposure be restricted for 30 days after land application of domestic wastewater to that land (327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1).
Land application rates are determined by the use of the site (e.g., grass), the nitrogen need of what is growing on the site and the nitrogen content of the pollutant-bearing water. Specific formulas are provided for calculating plant available nitrogen to determine application rates (327 Ind. Admin Code 6.1).
The use of specific pipes for the distribution of domestic wastewater for application on land with high potential for public exposure as well as associated signage is not required.
Water reuse for landscaping specifications
Summary of Indiana's Water Reuse for Landscaping Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category (Approved Uses) | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Land with a high potential for public exposure (Application to athletic fields, golf courses, cemeteries) |
Domestic wastewater, Industrial storm water, Industrial process wastewater |
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) |
≤10 mg/L |
Weekly monitoring (at a minimum) using the 5-day BOD test |
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
≤5 mg/L (averaged over a 24-hour period prior to disinfection) |
For domestic wastewater, daily monitoring. |
||
|
pH |
6–9 |
Weekly monitoring (at a minimum) |
||
| Fecal coliform |
0 organisms/100 mL (if using the median) ≤14 organisms/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Daily monitoring required; Analysis must be completed using either membrane filter technique or fermentation tube technique. | ||
|
Total chlorine residual |
≥1 mg/L (after a minimum contact time of 30 minutes) |
For domestic wastewater, residual chlorine must be monitored daily. Note: this specification is only required if chlorine is used for disinfection. |
||
|
Arsenic |
0.07 mg/L (not to exceed) |
Annual monitoring (at a minimum) |
||
|
Cadmium |
0.06 mg/L (not to exceed) |
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|
Copper |
2.57 mg/L (not to exceed) |
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|
Lead |
0.51 mg/L (not to exceed) |
|||
|
Mercury |
0.02 mg/L (not to exceed) |
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|
Molybdenum |
0.06 mg/L (not to exceed) |
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|
Nickel |
0.72 mg/L (not to exceed) |
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|
Selenium |
0.17 mg/L (not to exceed) |
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|
Zinc |
4.80 mg/L (not to exceed) |
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|
Total Nitrogen |
Specific value not provided |
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|
Ammonia Nitrogen |
Specific value not provided |
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|
Nitrate Nitrogen |
Specific value not provided |
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|
Total Phosphorus |
Specific value not provided |
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|
Potassium |
Specific value not provided |
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|
Polychlorinated biphenyls |
<2 mg/kg (dry weight) |
Source= 327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1
Note: Specific requirements are not provided for the use of domestic wastewater, industrial storm water or industrial process water for landscape irrigation in areas with low potential for public exposure.
* Information about sampling and monitoring requirements such as frequency, site and quantification methods not specifically listed in the table was not explicitly specified in the State-specific regulations.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming regulations pertaining to water reuse for landscaping were found for Indiana.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), 124 Stat. 3885.
Land Application of Bio-solid, Industrial Waste Product, and Pollutant Bearing Water, 327 Ind. Admin. Code 6-1.
Please contact us at waterreuse@epa.gov if the information on this page needs updating or if this state is updating or planning to update its laws and policies and we have not included that information on the news page.