An analysis of and recommendations for comprehensive state water recycling policy strategies in the U.S.

Abstract

To combat increasing water scarcity, many U.S. communities are considering potable water reuse to expand water supplies. Negative public perceptions, however, have been shown to inhibit the implementation of recycling projects. Our analysis was initiated in response to a request by the water reuse committee of a water utility organization in the U.S. state of Georgia who believe that comprehensive state water recycling legislation will contribute to public support for potable reuse. Because no guidance otherwise exists, the managers asked us to review the legislation enacted by other U.S. states to recommend elements appropriate for adoption in Georgia. We predicted that common legislative elements to promote public support of local reuse projects would include a clear and compelling enunciation of the goal for recycling, a delegation of responsibility for oversight and management to specific state agencies with appropriate expertise, an articulation of the types of recycling allowed and the associated water treatment required for each, and liability and funding provisions. We analyzed the laws of the fifteen states which have enacted comprehensive water recycling legislation to determine how they addressed these elements and to recommend those policies we found most likely to assuage public concerns. These include involving both the state health and environmental agencies in developing and implementing recycling regulations, streamlining and simplifying the permitting process to combine wastewater treatment and reuse permits, and requiring utilities to develop outreach programs for consumers of recycled water. Strategies we did not anticipate but found noteworthy and included in our recommendations were appointment of a diverse group of stakeholders to contribute to legislative and regulatory drafting, holding public listening sessions during the drafting process, and requiring utilities to consider reuse as a supply option in their ongoing planning. As Georgia and other states consider the adoption of water recycling legislation, they should consider these recommendations to assure the public that the practice is safe and may play a critical role in providing for resilient water supply and environmental protection.