Recyling Water

According to Merriam-Webster, the verb “recycle” means to pass again through a series of changes or treatments to process something (such as glass, aluminum, or paper) in order to regain material for human use. While recycling generally refers to the recovery and reuse of things like aluminum cans, glass bottles, and newspapers, water can also be recycled.

How is Recycled Water Used?

Recycled water is most commonly used for non-potable (not for drinking) purposes, such as agriculture, landscape, public parks, and golf course irrigation. Recycling gray water:

• Saves fresh potable water for other uses.
• Reduces the volume of wastewater going to septic systems.
• Wastewater treatment plants.
• Increases infrastructure capacity for new users.

Recycled water can satisfy most water demands, as long as it meets specific water quality requirements depending on its end use. For example, recycled water used for cooling processes requires less treatment than recycled water used for landscape irrigation.

How to Save Energy when Recycling Water

As the demand for water grows, more water is extracted, treated, and transported which can require a lot of energy. Energy is required first in collecting, extracting, transporting, and distributing water to end users and second in treating and disposing of the wastewater once the end users are finished with it. If the local source of water is ground water, the level of ground water becomes lower as more water is removed and this increases the energy required to pump the water to the surface. Recycling water on site or nearby reduces the energy needed to move water longer distances or pump water from deep within an aquifer. Tailoring water quality to a specific water use also reduces the energy needed to treat water. The water quality required to flush a toilet is less stringent than the water quality needed for drinking water and requires less energy to achieve. Using recycled water that is of lower quality for uses that do not require high quality water saves energy and money by reducing treatment requirements.

As water energy demands and environmental needs grow, water recycling will play a greater role in our overall water supply. By reusing water, water recycling can help us find ways to decrease the diversion of water and reduce energy consumption.

For more information, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a technical document entitled Guidelines for Water Reuse that contains a summary of state requirements, and guidelines for the treatment and uses of recycled water.