Reclaimed wastewater (also known as reclaimed water, water recycling, recycled water, and water reuse) is wastewater discharged from buildings and processes, treated at a wastewater treatment facility, and then reused in applications such as irrigation and industrial processes. It can provide a source of alternative water to federal facilitates, and it is becoming more common for local municipalities to reclaim wastewater and sell it to customers to help lower the community’s demand for freshwater. This water is often available at a significantly lower cost than potable water. Using reclaimed water from a local water utility is an excellent way to reduce potable water consumption and support the community's efforts in sustainable water management.
This map shows water utilities that produce reclaimed wastewater and sell it back to their customers as of 2012. Federal agencies can use this map to identify locations in the U.S. that may be good candidates for purchasing reclaimed wastewater. Once water utilities are identified, agencies may use the information provided to contact the utility to get more information on purchase reclaimed water from them.
How to Use the Map
The map shows individual purple points, which represent a water reclamation facility. The map also shows "clusters" of facilities, marked as gray circles, which represent groups of closely located water reclamation facilities. The number of facilities in a cluster is given in the middle of the circle.
- Zoom in to a given area by clicking in the area or clicking the plus sign located in the upper left-hand corner of the map.
- Click on an individual point for specific information on the water reclamation facility, which will pop up in a text box near the point.
- Filter the map by selecting the state, city, and/or utility name in the dropdown lists to the left of the map.
- Review the water reclamation facilities that meet the filter criteria in the table below the map.
- Sort the table by clicking on the column you wish to sort by.
- Search for specific words in the search box just below the map, which will only show facilities that include your search word.
- Clear the filter by clicking the reset button, marked as a circle with an arrow, located in the upper left-hand corner of the map.
- Download the entire data set by clicking the download link, located on lower left-hand corner below the map.
Map Development
The National Water Reuse Database, created by the WateReuse Research Foundation and managed by the WateReuse Association, provides information on water utilities that supply reclaimed wastewater to their customers. Through a survey disseminated by the foundation, water utilities voluntarily provide information on production of reclaimed wastewater. The WateReuse Research Foundation shared the data with the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to allow FEMP to map these utilities.
The WateReuse Research Foundation provided data from water utilities in six states: California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada. Because utilities from only six states responded to the survey, the map should not be considered comprehensive.
The data that were mapped include utility name, water reclamation facility name, address, city and state, water use type, and the year when the facility provided the latest data to the foundation. General descriptions of reclaimed wastewater use types are provided below. Contact specific facilities for more information on their operation.
- Commercial: landscape irrigation, car washing, commercial operations
- Golf Course: irrigation for golf courses
- Industrial: cooling towers, boiler feeds, processing
- Municipal and Public Areas: irrigation to areas with public access such as parks
- Residential: irrigation to housing areas.
Considerations
The data from the WateReuse Research Foundation are provided voluntarily by water utilities. The data may not be entirely complete or up to date. Also, at the time the map was developed, the WateReuse Research Foundation had received data from water utilities in only six states. Other water utilities produce reclaimed water across the country but did not provide data to the foundation, and therefore, are not currently listed on the map. Contact your local water provider to determine if reclaimed water is available.
Additional Resources
Use these resources for more information:
- FEMP Best Management Practice on reclaimed water
- WateReuse Foundation information on reclaimed wastewater and other alternative water supplies
- American Water Works Association material on water reuse and resource links to reuse regulations by state and locations that provide reclaimed wastewater.
