Summary of Minnesota's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Centralized Non-potable 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
• Applications of centralized non-potable reuse approved for use in Minnesota
• Water reuse category/type
• Additional context and definitions
• Centralized non-potable reuse specifications (table)
• Upcoming state law or policy
• References
• Disclaimer

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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 Minnesota, centralized non-potable reuse centralized non-potable reuse The use of recycled water for centralized non-potable reuse where the water does not derive from the same site where it is to be reused. Can include, but is not limited to, toilet flushing, dust control, soil compaction, fire protection, commercial laundries, vehicle washing, street cleaning, snowmaking, and other similar uses. Excludes on-site non-potable water reuse and the use of recycled water for agriculture or landscaping. applications include toilet flushing, decorative fountains, firefighting and commercial cooling, among others. The source of water (treated municipal wastewater) 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 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

Minnesota approves the use of reclaimed wastewater for centralized non-potable reuse applications including, but not limited to, toilet flushing, decorative fountains, artificial snowmaking, firefighting, commercial air conditioning, dust control and street cleaning (MPCA, 2010). 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. The treatment and total coliform requirements are based on the reuse application. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) uses the state of California wastewater reuse regulations as guidance for wastewater reuse permitting to “ensure the reuse of wastewater would be protective of human health” (MPCA, 2010). Minnesota uses California’s Title 22 Water Recycling Criteria (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22) as the technical basis for the derivation of total coliform removals and turbidity requirements (defined in the table).

Applications of centralized non-potable reuse approved for use in Minnesota

MPCA (2010) defines the following allowed centralized non-potable reuse applications (using California’s Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22 as guidance): 

• Toilet flushing (Disinfected Tertiary)
• Decorative fountains (Disinfected Tertiary)
• Artificial snowmaking (Disinfected Tertiary) 
• Firefighting
  • Structural firefighting, ex. fires in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings (Disinfected Tertiary)
  • Nonstructural firefighting, ex. wildfires (Disinfected Secondary 23)
• Commercial cooling (including air conditioning and cooling water at an electrical generation plant) 
  • Involves evaporative condensers or spray that creates mist (Disinfected Tertiary)
  • Does not involve evaporative condensers or spray that creates mist (Disinfected Secondary 23)
• Soil compaction, mixing concrete, dust control on roads and streets (Disinfected Secondary 23)
• Cleaning roads, sidewalks and outdoor work areas (Disinfected Secondary 23)

Water reuse category/type

The various classes of treatment are defined by their respective treatment requirements and applicable performance standards. The respective treatment requirements are briefly summarized for centralized non-potable reuse applications.

• For Disinfected Tertiary water, the treatment requirements are secondary treatment, filtration and disinfection. Disinfection design is determined on a case-by-case basis.
• For Disinfected Secondary-23 water, the treatment requirements are secondary treatment and disinfection. Disinfection design is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Additional context and definitions

Minnesota does not allow any physical connection between any municipal recycled wastewater source and a potable water source and all use areas must be posted with signs that state that the water used is recyclable, non-potable and not fit for consumption (MPCA, 2010).

Centralized non-potable reuse specifications

Summary of Minnesota's Centralized Non-potable Reuse Specifications

Source = MPCA (2010)

^* 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 regulations pertaining to centralized non-potable reuse were found for Minnesota.

References:

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.

Minnesota Department of Health. 2018. Advancing Safe and Sustainable Water Reuse in Minnesota: 2018 Report of the Interagency Workgroup on Water Reuse.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). 2010. Municipal Wastewater Reuse.

Water Recycling Criteria, Cal. Code Regs. tit. 22.

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Disclaimers

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.