Summary of Nevada's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Industry
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 water for this summary is Treated Municipal Wastewater.
- Technical basis
- Water reuse industrial applications approved for use in Nevada
- Water reuse treatment category for industrial applications
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for industrial applications 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 Nevada, water reuse for industryThe use of recycled water for industrial applications, often created at the industrial facility. This includes recycled water generated through onsite processes such as boiler water, cooling water, manufacturing water, and oil and gas production, as well as recycled water generated offsite and imported elsewhere for industrial reuse applications. includes reuse for cooling water and boiler feed water. The source of water treated municipal wastewaterTreated 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. is specified by the state as municipal wastewater. The write-up on this page 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.
Technical basis
Nevada approves the use of recycled water for industrial applications including as cooling water in industrial processes and boiler feed water (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A). 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 state water quality standards. All categories of reclaimed water must receive secondary treatment and meet specific pH, TSS and BOD requirements. Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators and are summarized in the table. The technical basis for developing the specifications and/or removals of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators is not explicitly specified.
Water reuse industrial applications approved for use in Nevada
Nev. Admin. Code § 445A defines the following approved industrial applications:
- Cooling water in an industrial process (Reuse Category B)
- Boiler feed water (Reuse Category C)
Water reuse treatment category for industrial applications
All reuse categories require, at minimum, secondary treatment that achieves a pH of 6–9, a TSS concentration of ≤30 mg/L and a BOD5 concentration of ≤30 mg/L. The reuse categories differ by their bacteriological quality requirements.
Additional context and definitions
In Nevada, reclaimed water is defined as “sewage that has been treated by a physical, biological, or chemical process, which is intended for a use defined in Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.276 to 445A.2771, inclusive, and that meets the corresponding water quality criteria for the specified use.” (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A).
Nevada requires signs to be posted along the outer perimeter of the area of municipal reclaimed water use that warn the public that reclaimed water is in use in the area and that contact with the reclaimed water should be avoided (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A). The pipe infrastructure conveying the reclaimed water must be identified by color marking or a metal tag and all reclaimed water outlets, like faucets and hose connections, must be identified at the point of use.
Water reuse for industrial applications specifications
Summary of Nevada's Water Reuse for Industrial Applications Reuse Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Reuse Category B (Cooling water in an industrial process) |
Municipal wastewater |
Same pH, BOD5 and TSS requirements as Reuse Category C water. |
||
|
Fecal coliform |
≤2.2 CFU or MPN/100 mL (30-day geometric mean) ≤23 CFU or MPN/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Reclaimed water must meet these bacteriological quality requirements prior to the reuse activity |
||
|
Reuse Category C (Boiler feed water) |
Municipal wastewater |
pH |
6–9 (30-day average) |
After secondary treatment |
|
5-day inhibited biological oxygen demand (BOD5) |
≤30 mg/L (30-day average) |
|||
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
≤30 mg/L (30-day average) |
|||
|
Fecal coliform |
≤23 CFU or MPN/100 mL (30-day geometric mean) ≤240 CFU or MPN/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Reclaimed water must meet these bacteriological quality requirements prior to the reuse activity |
||
Source = Nev. Admin. Code § 445A
* 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 related to water reuse for industry were found for Nevada.
References:
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Water Controls, Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.
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.