Our Mission
The mission of the Water Reclamation and Reuse Program is to protect the health of Washington residents by ensuring that reclaimed water supplies are adequate, safe, and readily available to supplement existing water supplies.
About Us
In 1992 the Washington State Legislature passed the Reclaimed Water Act, Chapter 90.46 RCW , directing the Departments of Health and Ecology to develop standards for reclaimed water use and to jointly administer a reclaimed water program. The goals of the Reclaimed Water Act are to:
- Encourage and facilitate reclaimed water use.
- Assist in meeting future water requirements of the state by:
- Replacing potable water with reclaimed water for nonpotable uses.
- Expanding the use of reclaimed water for nonpotable uses.
- Supplementing existing surface and ground water supplies.
- Ensure public health and safety.
- Encourage environmental protection.
- Gain public confidence and support for reclaimed water.
- Develop and expand financial support and incentives for water reclamation facilities.
- Address current barriers to the use of reclaimed water.
Our role is to partner with the Department of Ecology in developing reclaimed water supplies. Our objective is to protect public health in the use of reclaimed water by focusing on:
- Adequate and effective treatment, and protection of users and use areas.
- Providing technical assistance.
- Reliability of treatment processes.
- Assessing the distribution and storage of reclaimed water.
- Coordinating with local public water systems managers.
Our office and Ecology coordinated with stakeholders statewide to develop draft rules for reclaimed water (Chapter 173-219 WAC). More information on the rule making process is available on Ecology's website. The “draft Reclaimed Water Rule” turned into chapter 173-219 WAC on January 23, 2018, its adoption date.
How to Submit Daily Monitoring Reports to Department of Health
- Email them to reclaimed.water@doh.wa.gov
- Mail a hard copy to: DOH - Reclaimed Water, 16201 E Indiana Avenue Suite 1500, Spokane Valley, WA 99216
- Or if you're using Ecology's WebDMR through the WQWWebPortal to submit reports, just add us as a "cc" using our email address: reclaimed.water@doh.wa.gov.
Guidance for Developing and Implementing Regulations for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems
NOTE: On this page NBRC means the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-Potable Water Systems
- NBRC A Guidebook for Developing and Implementing Regulations for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems (PDF)
- NBRC A Guidebook for Developing and Implementing Regulations for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems - Technical Appendix (PDF)
- NBRC A Guidebook for Developing and Implementing Regulations for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems - Model Program Rules (Word)
- NBRC A Guidebook for Developing and Implementing Regulations for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems - Model Local Ordinance (Word)
- NBRC A Guidebook for Developing and Implementing Regulations for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems - Model State Regulation (Word)
Resources
- Water Reclamation and Reuse Standards (PDF) - Departments of Health and Ecology (September 1997)
- Permit Application for Reclaimed Water Use - Departments of Health and Ecology
- Guidance for Ecology's Reclaimed Water Permit Process - Office of Regulatory Innovation and Assistance
- 2014 Map of Reclaimed Water Facilities in Washington State (PDF)
- Find Ecology Water Quality Permits (including Reclaimed Water) in Department of Ecology's PARIS database
- RCW 90.46, Reclaimed Water Use
- RCW 90.48.112, Water Pollution Control, which requires engineering documents to include a consideration of opportunities for using reclaimed water.
- WAC 246-290-100, Group A Public Water Supplies, which requires systems with more than 1,000 connections to evaluate opportunities to use reclaimed water.
- EPA 2012 Guidelines for Water Reuse (PDF)
- Department of Ecology Water Reclamation and Reuse Program
- Water Environment Federation
- WateReuse Association
- American Water Works Association
- National Water Research Institute
Contact Us
Email us at reclaimed.water@doh.wa.gov or call 360-236-3330.