Summary of Utah'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.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Water reuse industrial applications approved for use in Utah
- 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 Utah, 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 for cooling towers. 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 domestic 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
Utah approves the use of recycled water for industrial applications including as cooling water (Type II Use of Treated Domestic Wastewater Effluent Where Human Exposure is Unlikely). 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. Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators for industrial applications and are summarized in the table. The microbial water quality standards and treatment requirements for Type II treated domestic wastewater effluent are secondary standards that are similar to Utah’s bacterial recommendations for primary recreational contact (Utah Division of Water Quality, personal communication, May 4, 2022).
Water reuse industrial applications approved for use in Utah
Utah Admin. Code r. 317-3-11 defines the following approved industrial applications:
- Cooling water for cooling towers (Type II)
Water reuse treatment category for industrial applications
The various classes of treated wastewater effluent are defined by their respective treatment requirements and applicable performance standards. The respective treatment requirements are briefly summarized for industrial applications:
- For Type II treated domestic wastewater effluent, the treatment requirements are secondary treatment and disinfection via chlorination, ozone, UV radiation or other chemical disinfectants.
Use of treated domestic wastewater effluent for cooling towers that produce aerosols in populated areas may have special restrictions imposed (Utah Admin. Code r. 317-3-11).
Additional context and definitions
Utah requires that all new buried pipe used for carrying treated effluent within the public domain, including service lines, valves and other appurtenances must be colored purple (Pantone 522 or equivalent). Identification tape reading “Caution: Treated Wastewater-Do Not Drink" is recommended if the pipe becomes discolored during construction. If Type II treated effluent is stored prior to application, fencing is required.
Water reuse for industrial applications specifications
Summary of Utah's Water Reuse for Industrial Applications Reuse 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)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Type II (cooling water) |
Domestic wastewater |
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) |
≤25 mg/L (monthly arithmetic mean) |
Weekly composite sampling; composite samples shall be comprised of at least six flow proportionate samples taken over a 24-hour period. |
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
≤25 mg/L (monthly arithmetic mean) ≤35 mg/L (weekly mean) |
Daily composite sampling |
||
|
E. coli |
≤126 organisms/100 mL (weekly median) ≤500 organisms/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Daily grab sampling |
||
|
pH |
6–9 |
Daily grab sampling or continuous monitoring |
Source = Utah Admin. Code r. 317-3-11
* 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 Utah.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Utah Department of Environmental Quality. 2013. Utah Administrative Code. Title R317. Environmental quality, water quality. 3. Design Requirements for Wastewater Collection, Treatment and Disposal Systems. 11. Use, Land Application and Alternate Methods for Disposal of Treated Wastewater Effluents.
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.