Summary of Wisconsin's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Onsite Non-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 Onsite Collected Waters and Stormwater.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Types of onsite non-potable reuse approved for use in Wisconsin
- Water reuse category/type
- Onsite non-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 Wisconsin, onsite non-potable water reuse The use of treated onsite collected waters for non-potable purposes at the single-building or district scale. This reuse application excludes the use of recycled water from a centralized treatment and distribution system for landscape irrigation or commercial uses. includes irrigation. The sources of water, including both onsite collected waters Water sources generated within or surrounding a building, residence, or district. Other terms referring to this source of water include onsite collected rainwater, greywater, blackwater, air conditioning condensate, and foundation water. and stormwaterPrecipitation that is collected from land or impervious surfaces at a district or regional scale for the purpose of beneficial reuse. Rainwater collection at the building scale is classified separately under 'onsite collected waters.’, are specified by the state as stormwater, clearwater and cases where “reuse is the source.” 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
Wisconsin approves the use of treated stormwater, clearwater and “reuse as the source” for onsite non-potable applications including subsurface, surface and spray irrigation (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. Performance standards are applied for the removal of chemical contaminants for commercial and other non-potable reuse applications. The technical basis for the derivation of chemical removals is not explicitly specified.
Types of onsite non-potable reuse approved for use in Wisconsin
Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70 defines the following approved onsite non-potable uses for treated stormwater and clearwater:
- Surface and spray irrigation.
Additionally, Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70 approves the use of treated stormwater and cases where “reuse is the source” for:
- Subsurface irrigation.
Water reuse category/type
Wisconsin does not assign stormwater and clearwater used for onsite non-potable reuse to a category or class.
Onsite non-potable reuse specifications
Summary of Wisconsin's Non-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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Subsurface irrigation – “using stormwater as the source” |
Stormwater |
Oil and grease |
<15 mg/L |
“A plumbing system shall supply a quality of water at the outlet or at the termination of the plumbing systems that meets or exceeds” these minimum treatment requirements. For stormwater, the treatment standards are based on an annual average. |
|
Total suspended solids |
<60 mg/L |
|||
|
Subsurface irrigation – “using reuse as the source” |
Not specified |
Oil and grease |
≤15 mg/L |
“A plumbing system shall supply a quality of water at the outlet or at the termination of the plumbing systems that meets or exceeds” these minimum treatment requirements. |
|
5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) |
≤30 mg/L |
|||
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
≤35 mg/L |
|||
|
Fecal coliform |
<200 CFU/100 mL |
|||
|
Surface or spray irrigation – “using stormwater and clearwater as the source” |
Stormwater and clearwater |
5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) |
≤10 mg/L |
“A plumbing system shall supply a quality of water at the outlet or at the termination of the plumbing systems that meets or exceeds” these minimum treatment requirements. |
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
≤5 mg/L |
Sources = Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming onsite non-potable reuse regulations were found for Wisconsin.
References:
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Plumbing Treatment Standards, Wis. Admin. Code Trans. § 382.70.
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.