Summary of Virginia's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for 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 Treated Municipal Wastewater.
On this page:
- Technical basis
- Types of planned potable reuse approved for use in Virginia
- Water reuse category/type
- Additional context and definitions
- 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 Virginia, potable water reuse The use of highly treated recycled water for drinking water purposes. This reuse application includes both indirect potable reuse through introduction of recycled water into an environmental buffer such as a surface reservoir or groundwater aquifer, and direct potable reuse through introduction of recycled water into a drinking water system. applications include indirect potable reuse (surface water augmentation). 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 reclaimed water. 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
Potable water in the United States must meet all applicable Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements, including its implementing regulations (40 C.F.R. § 141) for chemical and microbial contaminants and pollutant discharges from a point source for surface water augmentation require a federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permit (40 C.F.R. part 122). Virginia approves the discharge of reclaimed water to surface waters for indirect potable reuse (IPR) through a Virginia-delegated NPDES permit (or VPDES permit). For any new IPR projects proposed after January 29, 2014, Virginia requires the project to generate at least Level 1 reclaimed water and meet additional requirements like Virginia’s water quality standards (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-260) and total maximum daily loads (Virginia DEQ, 2022), the strictest of which should be followed if there is more than one standard for a pollutant (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740). Per Virginia’s Water Reclamation and Reuse Regulation, specifically 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740-50.A, existing IPR projects (and their future expansions) that were authorized by a VPDES permit upon October 1, 2008 are exempt from the requirements of 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740. Only one such project exists in Virginia and is subject to other regulations that provide protection of public health and the environment comparable to the requirements of 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740. For all new IPR projects proposed after October 1, 2008, DEQ may prescribe additional specific reclaimed water standards and monitoring requirements needed to protect public health and the environment on a case-by-case basis (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740-90.B).
Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of microbial contaminants, chemicals and other relevant indicators for indirect potable reuse and are summarized in the table. The microbial standards for Level 1 reclaimed water were derived from fecal coliform water quality standards for shellfish propagation waters of Virginia (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-260-160). The rationale is that surface water quality standards considered safe for the propagation of shellfish for human consumption should also be considered safe for uses that have the potential for public contact, as is the case for the reuse applications of Level 1 reclaimed water. The Level 1 reclaimed water standards for E. coli and enterococci were derived from the reclaimed water standard for fecal coliform using conversion factors. The technical basis for developing the specifications and/or removals of chemicals and other relevant indicators is not explicitly specified.
Types of planned potable reuse approved for use in Virginia
9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740 defines the following approved planned potable uses:
- Indirect potable reuse
- Surface water augmentation (Level 1 and other applicable standards)
Water reuse category/type
There is currently only one IPR project in Virginia and it is exempted from the requirements of 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740. However, any newly proposed IPR projects are required to meet, at minimum, Level 1 reclaimed water standards (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740-70.A), reclaimed water standards developed pursuant to 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740-90.B and any other standards that may apply, including, but not limited to, Virginia’s Water Quality Standards (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-260) and total maximum daily loads (Virginia DEQ, 2022). Where there is more than one standard for the same pollutant, the more stringent standard shall apply (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740).
- For Level 1 reclaimed water, the minimum treatment requirements are secondary treatment with filtration and higher-level disinfection to achieve the bacterial standards indicated in the table. Disinfection may be accomplished by chlorination, ozonation, other chemical disinfections or UV radiation (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740).
In addition to the requirements listed above, any new IPR project proposed after January 29, 2014 also requires the following per 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740-90.C:
- The use of a multiple barrier approach in the planning, design and operation of the project; and
- Reevaluation with specific input from the Virginia Department of Health on the public health risks of and the need to impose new or more stringent reclaimed water standards for an IPR project upon each renewal of the permit issued to the reclamation system that produces reclaimed water for the project. Factors to be considered in the reevaluation shall include, at a minimum, applicable factors contained in 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740-90.B.
Additional context and definitions
Virginia defines reclaimed water as “water resulting from the treatment of domestic, municipal or industrial wastewater that is suitable for a water reuse that would not otherwise occur” and specifically excludes gray water, harvested rainwater and stormwater (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740). Indirect potable reuse is defined by Virginia as “the discharge of reclaimed water to a receiving surface water for the purpose of intentionally augmenting a water supply source, with subsequent withdrawal after mixing with the ambient surface water and transport to the withdrawal location, followed by treatment and distribution for drinking water and other potable water purposes” (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740).
Potable reuse specifications
Summary of Virginia's 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Level 1 + additional requirements (Indirect potable reuse) |
Municipal wastewater |
In addition to the Level 1 treatment requirements, any new IPR projects proposed after January 29, 2014, must meet additional requirements like Virginia’s water quality standards (9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-260) and total maximum daily loads (Virginia DEQ, 2022). If there is more than one standard for the same pollutant across these three regulations, the strictest standard should be applied. |
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|
Fecal coliforma |
≤14 colonies/100 mL (monthly geometric mean) >49 colonies/100 mL (corrective action threshold) |
Measured after all reclaimed water treatment and prior to discharge to a reclaimed water distribution system between 10 am and 4 pm. The sampling frequency depends on the reclamation system designated design flow: >0.500 MGD= Daily (reduction to 4 days/week allowed) 0.050–0.500 MGD= 4 days/week (reduction to 3 days/week allowed) <0.050= 3 days/week (no reduction allowed) |
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|
E. colia |
≤11 colonies/100 mL (monthly geometric mean) >35 colonies/100 mL (corrective action threshold) |
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|
Enterococcia |
≤11 colonies/100 mL (monthly geometric mean) >24 colonies/100 mL (corrective action threshold) |
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|
Total residual chlorineb |
<1.0 mg/L (corrective action threshold) |
Following minimum contact time of 30 minutes at average flow or 20 minutes at peak flow. Continuous online monitoring at the end of the contact tank or contact period. |
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|
pH |
6.0–9.0 S.U. |
Daily grab samples at the POC |
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5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) or 5-day carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand (CBOD5) |
≤10 mg/L (monthly average BOD5) or ≤8 mg/L (monthly average CBOD5) |
Weekly sampling or more frequent based on the designated design flow of the reclamation system; sampling at the POC |
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Turbidityc |
≤2 NTU (daily average of discreet measurements recorded over a 24-hour period) >5 NTU (corrective action threshold) |
Continuous online monitoring just upstream of disinfection |
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|
UV light design dosed,e |
≥100,000 uWsec/cm2 |
Measured under peak flow |
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|
UV transmittanced |
≥55% at 254 nm |
Not specified |
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Sources= 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740, 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-260 and Virginia DEQ, 2022.
MGD = million gallons per day; POC = point of compliance. The POC in Virginia is after all reclaimed water treatment and prior to discharge to a reclaimed water distribution system for all standards, excluding turbidity. The POC for turbidity is just upstream of disinfection.
a Must meet bacterial standards for either fecal coliform, E. coli or enterococci. All three are not required.
b Only applies if chlorine was used for disinfection.
c If UV radiation is used for disinfection, other turbidity standards may apply.
d Only applies if UV is used for disinfection.
e A lower UV disinfection dosage may be authorized if demonstrated to meet at least one of the bacteria standards for Level 1 reclaimed water and microbial testing is used to validate the efficacy of the UV disinfection dose in accordance with the NWRI Ultraviolet Disinfection Guidelines for Drinking Water and Water Reuse, Second Edition (2003).
Upcoming state law or policy
There are currently no upcoming reuse regulations related to potable water reuse for Virginia.
References:
Control Board Generally, Va. Admin. Code § 62.1-44.15 (2024).
EPA-Administered Permit Programs: The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, 40 C.F.R. part 122.
Fecal Coliform Bacteria; Shellfish Waters, 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-260-160.
National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, 40 C.F.R. § 141.
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). 2022. Approved TMDLs.
Water Quality Standards, 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-260.
Water Reclamation and Reuse Regulation, 9 Va. Admin. Code § 25-740.
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.