Summary of Nevada's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Potable Water Reuse
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
- Types of planned potable reuse approved for use in Nevada
- Water reuse treatment category/type
- Potable reuse 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 Nevada, potable water reuse The use of highly treated recycled water for drinking water purposes. This reuse application includes both indirect potable reuse through introduction of recycled water into an environmental buffer such as a surface reservoir or groundwater aquifer, and direct potable reuse through introduction of recycled water into a drinking water system. include indirect potable reuse (aquifer augmentation or recharge). 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 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
Potable water in the United States must meet all applicable Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements, including its implementing regulations (40 C.F.R. § 141) for chemical and microbial contaminants. Additionally, to use reclaimed water in Nevada a state permit must be obtained pursuant to Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.228 to 445A.263 and Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.274 to 445A.280. Nevada indirect potable reuse regulations have specific treatment requirements for certain pathogens and chemicals.
Microbial (pathogen) log reduction values were derived assuming raw sewage maximum densities of densities of 105 culturable enteric viruses/L, 105Giardia lamblia cysts/L and 104Cryptosporidium oocysts/L and a health-based target of less than 1 infection per 10,000 people per year. Risk-based calculations resulted in treatment requirements of twelve-log enteric virus reduction, ten-log Giardia lamblia cyst reduction and ten-log Cryptosporidium spp. oocyst reduction. The required log removals must be demonstrated from the point where raw sewage enters a treatment works to the point of extraction from an aquifer for potable use.
Chemical contaminants must meet the maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) in SDWA regulations (40 C.F.R. § 141) and certain secondary contaminants (including chloride, iron, magnesium, manganese, sulfate and total dissolved solids) must meet the MCLs as set forth in Nevada’s secondary standards for public water systems (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.455).
Types of planned potable reuse approved for use in Nevada
Nev. Admin. Code § 445A defines the following approved planned potable uses:
- Indirect Potable Reuse
- The discharge of reclaimed water into an aquifer for the purpose of augmentation or recharge of a drinking water source where the reclaimed water travels through an environmental buffer before the reclaimed water is recovered into an extraction well for potable use.
Water reuse treatment category/type
Reuse Category A+ is required for indirect potable reuse through injection wells or spreading basins. To qualify as Category A+ the water must meet all provisions of EPA’s National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (40 C.F.R. § 141) and Nevada’s secondary maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for public water systems (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.455).
Potable reuse specifications
Summary of Nevada's Potable Reuse Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Category A+ (Indirect potable reuse) |
Municipal wastewater |
Viruses (enteric) |
12-log reduction |
Demonstrated from the point where raw sewage enters a treatment works to the point of extraction from an aquifer for potable use |
|
Giardia lamblia |
10-log reduction |
Demonstrated from the point where raw sewage enters a treatment works to the zone of saturation |
||
|
Cryptosporidium |
10-log reduction |
|||
|
Total coliforms |
≤2.2 CFU or MPN/100 mL (30-day geometric mean) ≤23 CFU or MPN/100 mL (maximum daily number) |
Not specified |
||
|
5-day inhibited biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) |
≤30 mg/L (30-day average) |
Not specified |
||
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
≤30 mg/L (30-day average) |
Not specified |
||
|
Chloride |
≤400 mg/L |
Monitored annually for public water systems which have surface water sources or groundwater sources under the direct influence of surface water and at least once during every 3-year compliance period for systems with groundwater sources, unless otherwise required by the Division or the appropriate district board of health. Samples must be collected at sample points which are representative of each source after any treatment. |
||
|
Iron |
≤0.6 mg/L |
|||
|
Magnesium |
≤150 mg/L |
|||
|
Manganese |
≤0.1 mg/L |
|||
|
Sulfate |
≤500 mg/L |
|||
|
Total dissolved solids (TDS) |
≤1,000 mg/L |
Source = Nev. Admin. Code § 445A
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming potable reuse regulations were found for Nevada.
References:
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, 40 C.F.R. § 141.
Water Controls, Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.
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.