Summary of Arizona's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Impoundments
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 impoundments approved for use in Arizona
- Water reuse treatment category for impoundments applications
- Additional context and definitions
- Water reuse for impoundments 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 Arizona, water reused for impoundmentsThe use of recycled water in an impoundment (body of water within an enclosure). This includes both unrestricted (use of reclaimed water in an impoundment in which no limitations are imposed on body-contact water recreation activities) and restricted (use of reclaimed water in an impoundment where body contact is restricted). Includes recreational impoundments, aesthetic impoundments, and ornamental impoundments with and without public access. Excludes landscape impoundments and storage of recycled water intended for other specific reuse applications (e.g., for agricultural irrigation). include recreational impoundments. 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
Arizona approves the use of municipal wastewater for impoundments in areas where public recreation is both permitted and prohibited. 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 related to impoundments 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 impoundments approved for use in Arizona
Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11 defines the following approved water reuse for impoundments:
- Recreational impoundments (Class A)
In Arizona, reclaimed water is defined as “water that has been treated or processed by a wastewater treatment plant” (Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11). The class A requirements apply to the direct reuse of reclaimed water.
Water reuse treatment category for impoundments
The various classes of reclaimed water treatment are defined by their respective treatment requirements and applicable performance standards.
- For Class A reclaimed water, the treatment requirements are secondary treatment, filtration and disinfection.
Additional context and definitions
Arizona defines a “recreational impoundment” as a manmade lake, pond, or impoundment of reclaimed water where boating or fishing is an intended use of the impoundment (Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11). Swimming and other full-body recreation activities (for example, water-skiing) are prohibited in a recreational impoundment (Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11).
Requirements for signage and the use of purple pipes for the conveyance of reclaimed water for reuse applications are not specified.
Water reuse for impoundments specifications
Summary of Arizona's Water Reuse for Impoundments Specifications
| Recycled Water Class/Category (Approved Uses) | Source Water Type | Water Quality Parameter | Specification | Sampling/Monitoring Requirements (Frequency of monitoring; site/ location of sample; quantification methods)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Class A reclaimed water (Recreational impoundment) |
Municipal wastewater |
Turbidity |
≤2 NTU (24-hour average) ≤5 NTU (any time point) |
Measured after filtration and immediately before disinfection |
|
Fecal coliforms |
0 organisms/100 mL (in four of the last seven daily samples) ≤23 organisms/100 mL (single sample maximum) |
Measured after disinfection and immediately before discharge to reclaimed water distribution system |
||
|
Enteric virusa |
No detectable enteric virus in 4 of last 7 monthly samples |
Monthly sampling |
||
|
Nitrogen |
Not specified |
Not specified |
||
|
Phosphorus |
Not specified |
Not specified |
Source= Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11
* 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 Required if alternative treatment processes or alternative turbidity criteria are used, or reclaimed water is blended with other water to produce Class A+ or Class A reclaimed water.
Upcoming state law or policy
No upcoming reuse regulations related to impoundments were found for Arizona.
References
Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.
Water Quality Standards, Ariz. Admin. Code § 18-11.
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.