Generally, state, environmental management and public health agencies regulate the production, conveyance and use of recycled water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and local health agencies may also have a role in regulating recycled water use. The final use of the water dictates how much additional treatment is required over and above the baseline treatment required for discharge into a waterway. Recycled water that has the greatest potential for human contact must have the highest level of treatment and reliability. Treatment requirements are less intense for non-potable uses where human contact is less likely to occur.
Wastewater gos through primary, secondary and advanced tertiary treatment at reclamation plants.
During a primary treatment, large solids are removed. Tertiary treatment employs filtration to remove any remaining solids and uses a disinfectant, such as chlorine, to destroy bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. For many reuse applications, an advanced treatment process, such as filtration or reverse osmosis, is required. These processes duplicate nature's own purifying actions. California is a pioneer in the field of water recycling.