Water Reuse for Impoundments and Reservoirs (Recreational and Ornamental) Resources
Impoundments and/or reservoirs are assets for many communities because they can increase property values and provide a space for people to swim and boat. Many impoundments and reservoirs around the country are at historically low levels due to increased population demand and climate-induced drought. Water for recreational impoundments and reservoirs can be supplied by local wastewater treatment plants, treated to meet Clean Water Act standards for fishing, swimming, and/or boating, and then used to supplement the flow into the impoundment, preserving this community asset. Other communities may have ornamental ponds, which may require less treatment because people will not be swimming or fishing from them.
Water reuse is the practice of reclaiming water from a variety of sources, treating it, and reusing it for beneficial purposes. The following resources relate to reuse for impoundments and reservoirs; for information on other uses, please visit the Water Reuse Resource Hub by End-Use.
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Key Resources
The following are a sampling of the key water sector resources that are freely available to support water practitioners interested in water reuse for impoundments and reservoirs. Visit the Water Reuse Information Library for additional water reuse materials.
- 2025 Risk Based Framework for Developing Microbial Treatment Targets for Water Reuse – This EPA document provides detailed scientific information that states and Tribes can use to develop risk assessments and microbial treatment targets that support safe potable and non-potable water reuse.
- 2012 Guidelines for Water Reuse – This EPA document includes discussion of regional variations of water reuse in the U.S., advances in wastewater treatment technologies relevant to reuse, best practices for involving communities in planning projects, international water reuse practices, and factors that will allow expansion of safe and sustainable water reuse throughout the world. The guidelines also provide more than 100 case studies from around the world that highlight how reuse applications can and do work. Chapter 3.3 is specific to impoundments.
- Water Reuse: Potential for Expanding the Nation’s Water Supply Through Reuse of Municipal Wastewater (2012) – This National Research Council book’s second chapter, “Current State of Water Reuse,” includes a section on impoundments that highlights aesthetic and recreational uses for reclaimed water and includes a case study on Santee, California’s, use of recycled water for a recreational lake.
State Water Reuse Regulations and Guidelines
The following states developed guidelines and regulations for water reuse for impoundments and reservoirs. Click the links from the REUSExplorer to review summary documents, which include the state regulations authorizing the use of recycled water for impoundments and reservoir, water quality and treatment specifications, definitions, and more!