Summary of Arizona's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Agriculture
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 for agriculture approved for use in Arizona
- Water reuse treatment category for agriculture
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for agriculture 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 Arizona, water reuse for water reuse for agricultureThe use of recycled water for production of both crops for human consumption and non-food crops of commercial value. This reuse application excludes consumption by livestock, onsite non-potable reuse, and landscaping. includes irrigation of food crops, spray or surface irrigation of an orchard or vineyard; irrigation of sod farms, fiber, seed, forage and similar crops; silviculture; and irrigation of pasture for non-dairy animals. The source of water treated municipal wastewater Treated 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 below 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
Arizona approves the use of reclaimed wastewater for the irrigation of food crops, orchards, sod farms, fiber, seed and forage crops as well as animal pasture (Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11). 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 relevant rule requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) (124 Stat. 3885). Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators related to agriculture 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 for agriculture approved for use in Arizona
Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11 defines the following approved water reuse for agriculture:
- Irrigation of food crops, spray irrigation of an orchard or vineyard (Class A)
- Surface irrigation of an orchard or vineyard (Class B)
- Irrigation of sod farms, fiber, seed, forage and similar crops (Class C)
- Silviculture (Class C)
- Irrigation of pasture for non-dairy animals (Class C)
Water reuse treatment category for agriculture
In Arizona, reclaimed water is defined as “water that has been treated or processed by a wastewater treatment plant” (Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11). The class A, B and C requirements apply to the direct reuse of reclaimed water.
The various classes of reclaimed water treatment are defined by their respective treatment requirements and applicable performance standards. The respective requirements are briefly summarized regarding water reuse for agriculture (Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11).
- For Class A reclaimed water, the treatment requirements are secondary treatment, filtration and disinfection.
- For Class B reclaimed water, the treatment requirements are secondary treatment and disinfection.
- For Class C reclaimed water, the treatment requirements are secondary treatment with or without disinfection. For Class C water, secondary treatment includes a series of wastewater stabilization ponds, including aeration. The total retention time in wastewater stabilization ponds should be at least 20 days.
Additional context and definitions
Requirements for signage and the use of purple pipes for the conveyance of reclaimed water for reuse applications are not specified.
Water reuse for agriculture specifications
Summary of Arizona's Water Reuse for Agriculture 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)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Class A reclaimed water (food crops, spray irrigation of an orchard or vineyard) |
Municipal wastewater |
Turbidity |
≤2 NTU (24-hour average) ≤5 NTU (any time point) |
Measured after filtration and immediately before disinfection |
|
Fecal coliforms |
0 organisms/100 mL (in four of the last seven daily samples) ≤23 organisms/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Measured after disinfection and immediately before discharge to reclaimed water distribution system |
||
|
Enteric virusa |
No detectable enteric virus in 4 of last 7 monthly samples |
Monthly sampling |
||
|
Class B reclaimed water (surface irrigation of an orchard or vineyard) |
Municipal wastewater |
Fecal coliforms |
<200 organisms/100 mL (in four of the last seven daily samples) <800 organisms/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Measured after disinfection and immediately before discharge to reclaimed water distribution system. |
|
Class C reclaimed water (crops not intended for human ingestion, pasture for non-dairy animals) |
Municipal wastewater |
Fecal coliforms |
<1,000 organisms/100 mL (in four of the last seven daily samples) <4,000 organisms/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Measured after secondary treatment and before discharge to a reclaimed water distribution system. Secondary treatment includes a series of wastewater stabilization ponds, including aeration, with or without disinfection. The total retention time in wastewater stabilization ponds is at least 20 days. |
Source= Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11
* 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.
a Required if alternative treatment processes or alternative turbidity criteria are used, or reclaimed water is blended with other water to produce Class A+ or Class A reclaimed water
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming regulations pertaining to water reuse for agriculture were found for Arizona.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), 124 Stat. 3885.
Water Quality Standards, Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11.
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.