Who would have thought that our everyday use of dish, sink, laundry, and dare I say it, toilet water could be used for other purposes such as irrigation purposes and even drinking water?

 It's true! As the country moves toward a more environmentally sustainable future, greater emphasis has been placed on conserving and protecting our nation's supply of groundwater. By reusing treated wastewater or reclaimed water for other purposes, we can help replenish, protect, and preserve this valuable natural resource, and as a result, save money over time.

     "Municipal leaders throughout the nation are taking a new look at our limited drinking water resources and recognizing that we cannot simply use water only one time and then discharge the used water," Water Engineering Leader Jon Strand, PE, said. "We must develop secondary reuse of this valuable resource to stretch our drinking water supply."

      "Using reclaimed or recycled water not only saves money, but also preserves our water resources and saves time in the long-run," explains SEH Wastewater Regional Leader Tracy Ekola, PE. "This includes time spent to research and develop new sources that meet the growing demand for non-potable and potable (drinking) water, especially in areas where water is scarce." 

      Many businesses and municipalities are developing programs that identify new ways to treat, reclaim, and/or reuse water and wastewater. These programs help conserve the supply of drinking water, and open up opportunity for potential cost-savings. 

      "High-quality reclaimed water can be used for several purposes including cropland irrigation and landscaping, as well as extinguishing fires, flushing toilets, and more," Ekola said. "The goal is to minimize the use of a City's potable water supply and, at the same time, limit our impact to the environment." 

Benefits of Water Reuse

• Less demand on sources of potable water
• Limits the amount of wastewater discharged into the environment (reduces pollutants entering rivers, streams, and groundwater)
• Water reclamation systems are low-maintenance and easy to operate (with the exception of potable reuse systems that require higher-level technology and regulatory oversight)
• Reusing high-nutrient wastewater for irrigation purposes can improve agricultural production in areas that lack water

Initial Steps to Reuse and Reclaim Water

1. Identify opportunities for efficient uses of water

2. Evaluate potential customers for water reuse, examples include:

• Golf courses
• Agricultural irrigation
• Large campus irrigation — schools, athletic soccer fields
• Large commercial and business irrigation
• Industrial — cooling water, process water, clean-up water
• Institutions — dual piping to use and reuse water for toilet flushing and irrigation

3. Conduct a feasibility study to determine costs, rate structures, financing sources, calculated payback, required reuse water quality, regulatory agency review, and community participation

4. Design and construct a cost-effective, environmentally sustainable reuse system