Summary of Nevada's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Environmental Restoration
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.
- Technical basis
- Water reuse for environmental restoration approved for use in Nevada
- Water reuse treatment category for environmental restoration
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for environmental restoration 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 Nevada, water reused for environmental restorationThe use of recycled water to create, sustain, or augment water bodies including wetlands, aquatic habitats, or stream flow. Includes groundwater or aquifer recharge for protection from saltwater intrusion , stream flow augmentation and wildlife habitat, and source water protection. include wetlands if public access to the wetland is restricted. The source of water treated municipal wastewater Treated 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 below 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
Nevada approves the use of reclaimed wastewater for reuse applications related to environmental restoration, including the restoration of wetlands where public access is restricted. 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 environmental restoration-related 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 for environmental restoration approved for use in Nevada
- Establishment, restoration or maintenance of a wetland if public access to the wetland is restricted (Reuse Category C)
Water reuse treatment category for environmental restoration
In Nevada, the various classes of reclaimed water treatment are defined by their respective treatment requirements and applicable performance standards. All reuse categories require, at minimum, secondary treatment that achieves a pH of 6.0–9.0, a TSS concentration of ≤30 mg/L and a BOD5 concentration of ≤30 mg/L (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.275).
- For Reuse Category C has a fecal coliform requirement of ≤23 CFU or MPN/100 mL (30-day average) and ≤240 CFU or MPN/100 mL (single sample maximum) (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.276).
Additional context and definitions
In Nevada, reclaimed water is defined as “sewage that has been treated by a physical, biological, or chemical process, which is intended for a use defined in Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.276 to 445A.2771, inclusive, and that meets the corresponding water quality criteria for the specified use” (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A).
Nevada defines wetland as land that “has a predominance of hydric soil; is inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions; and under normal circumstances supports a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions” (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A).
Nevada requires signs to be posted along the outer perimeter of the area of municipal reclaimed water use that warn the public that reclaimed water is in use in the area and that contact with the reclaimed water should be avoided (Nev. Admin. Code § 445A). The pipe infrastructure conveying the reclaimed water must be identified by color marking or a metal tag and all reclaimed water outlets, like faucets and hose connections, must be identified at the point of use.
Water reuse for environmental restoration specifications
Summary of Nevada's Water Reuse for Environmental Restoration Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Reuse Category C (Establishment, restoration or maintenance of a wetland if public access to the wetland is restricted) |
Municipal wastewater |
pH |
6–9 (30-day average) |
After secondary treatment |
|
5-day inhibited biological oxygen demand (BOD5) |
≤30 mg/L (30-day average) |
|||
|
Total suspended solids (TSS) |
≤30 mg/L (30-day average) |
|||
|
Fecal coliform |
≤23 CFU or MPN/100 mL (30-day geometric mean) ≤240 CFU or MPN/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Reclaimed water must meet these bacteriological quality requirements prior to the reuse activity |
Source= Nev. Admin. Code § 445A
* 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.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming environmental restoration reuse regulations were found for Nevada.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Water Controls, Nev. Admin. Code § 445A.
Please contact us at [email protected] 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.