Summary of Oklahoma's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Industry Process Water for Centralized Non-potable 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 Industry Process Water.
- Technical basis
- Types of planned potable reuse approved for use in Oklahoma
- Water reuse category/type
- Additional context and definitions
- 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 Oklahoma, centralized non-potable reuse The use of recycled water for centralized non-potable reuse where the water does not derive from the same site where it is to be reused. Can include, but is not limited to, toilet flushing, dust control, soil compaction, fire protection, commercial laundries, vehicle washing, street cleaning, snowmaking, and other similar uses. Excludes on-site non-potable water reuse and the use of recycled water for agriculture or landscaping. applications include land application, dust suppression, site washing, rock washing and cooling water. The source of water industry process water Water produced during industrial and manufacturing processes. Other terms referring to this source of water include air handling condensate, boiler, cooling or wash water, and water generated during oil and natural gas extraction. is specified by the state as industrial 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.
Check out Oklahoma's other centralized non-potable water reuse summary!
State requirements for water quality and treatment are often associated with the source water. Oklahoma has a centralized non-potable water reuse summary page where the source water is treated municipal wastewater.
Technical basis
Oklahoma approves the treatment and use of industrial wastewater for centralized non-potable use and post-treatment reuse applications including beneficial land application of industrial wastewater and dust suppression (Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616). 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 state water quality standards. Note that Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616 does not apply to regulated hazardous waste. In addition, construction or modification of surface impoundments of industrial wastewater systems require the submission of construction plans to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) 120 days before activities begin. Such systems must include treatment processes, e.g., settling, biological degradation, beneficial reuse or final disposal, and the impoundment shall be at least 15 feet away from groundwater (Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616). The technical basis for the removal of pathogen and chemical contaminants is not explicitly specified. Oklahoma limits the source of water to Class III wastewater, which by definition does not contain pollutants which pose a substantial threat to humans, aquatic life, wildlife, or the environment. By limiting land application and dust suppression to Class III wastewater, risks posed by pathogens or chemical contaminants are mitigated.
Types of centralized non-potable reuse approved for use in Oklahoma
Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616 defines the following approved centralized non-potable use and post-treatment reuse applications for Class III industrial wastewater:
- Land application
- Dust suppression
- Stockpile watering
- Concrete make-up
- Site washing
- Rock washing
- Cooling water
Land application of Class III wastewater should be intended for beneficial use, meaning that it can only be used for soil conditioning, fertilization of crops or erosion control (Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616). Wash water should not contact oil, grease or other sources of pollutants resulting from industrial activities (General permit no. OKG11).
Water reuse category/type
The classes of wastewater are defined by their respective treatment requirements and applicable performance standards. That said, industrial wastewater can only be used for the applications listed above if it meets Class III characteristics. Oklahoma defines Class III wastewater as “containing or suspected to contain pollutants which do not pose a substantial risk of harm to humans, aquatic life, wildlife, or the environment because of a relative immobility in groundwater or a general lack of direct toxicity, and which are not likely, if discharged, to degrade the beneficial uses of the receiving water as designated in the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards” (Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616). By limiting land application and dust suppression to Class III wastewater, risks posed by pathogens or chemical contaminants are thought to be mitigated, which is the basis for Oklahoma not providing microbial water quality standards for industrial wastewater for centralized non-potable application.
Additional context and definitions
In Oklahoma, Class III industrial wastewater is defined as “containing or suspected to contain pollutants which do not pose a substantial risk of harm to humans, aquatic life, wildlife, or the environment because of relative immobility in groundwater or a general lack of direct toxicity, and which are not likely, if discharged, to degrade the beneficial uses of the receiving water as designated in the Oklahoma Water Quality Standards” (Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616).
For Class III industrial wastewater, the parameter of concern is Total Suspended Solids (TSS). This type of wastewater can be used to control dust where it would otherwise affect air quality. Class III industrial wastewater should be used “in a manner which does not pollute or tend to pollute waters of the state of Oklahoma, the environment or pose a risk to human health” (Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616). Class III industrial wastewater cannot be used for dust control during rain events, or when the soil is frozen or saturated. Runoff of wastewater used for dust suppression is prohibited (Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616). Additional context and provisions specific to different industrial activities are available in the general permits OKG11, OKG11MT, OKG42T0000 and OKG95.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming centralized non-potable reuse regulations were found for Oklahoma.
References:
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Industrial Wastewater Systems, Okla. Admin. Code § 252:616.
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Wastewater Disposal Permit for Mobile Concrete Batch Plants, No. OKG11MT.
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality General Wastewater Permit to Dispose of Wastewater Resulting from the Growing of Medical Marijuana, No. OKG42T0000.
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.