Summary of Wisconsin's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Industry
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.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Water reuse industrial applications approved for use in Wisconsin
- Water reuse treatment category for industrial applications
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for industrial applications 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 Wisconsin, water reuse for industryThe use of recycled water for industrial applications, often created at the industrial facility. This includes recycled water generated through onsite processes such as boiler water, cooling water, manufacturing water, and oil and gas production, as well as recycled water generated offsite and imported elsewhere for industrial reuse applications. includes reuse for cooling water. The source of water treated municipal wastewaterTreated 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 on this page 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
Wisconsin approves the use of recycled water for industrial applications including as cooling water (Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70). 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. Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators for industrial applications 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 industrial applications approved for use in Wisconsin
Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70 defines the following approved industrial applications:
- Cooling water
Water reuse treatment category for industrial applications
Wisconsin does not assign recycled water used for industrial reuse to a category or class.
Additional context and definitions
Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70 states that for an outlet other than a plumbing fixture, appliance or appurtenance, more stringent requirements assigned by a municipality, governmental unit, state agency or the owner of the plumbing system might be required.
Water reuse for industrial applications specifications
Summary of Wisconsin's Water Reuse for Industrial Applications 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)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cooling water |
Municipal wastewater |
pHa |
6–9 |
Not specified |
|
5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) |
≤50 mg/L |
|||
|
Total suspended solids |
≤30 mg/L |
|||
|
Free chlorine residuala |
1.0–10.0 mg/L |
|||
|
Nitrogen |
Not specified |
|||
|
Phosphorus |
Not specified |
Source = Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70
* 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 Applies only to wastewater treatment devices for reuse systems. Other equivalent disinfection methods may be approved by the department.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming regulations related to water reuse for industry were found for Wisconsin.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 2016. SPS 382.70 Plumbing treatment standards.
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.