Water
Recycling
Reclaim water from diverse sources, treat it, and reuse for irrigation, livestock supply, groundwater replenishment, and environmental restoration.
Reduce depletion of surface and groundwater, cut costs, and protect ecosystems.
Start RecyclingRecycling Information
What is Water Recycling?
Water recycling (also known as water reuse) reclaims water from a variety of sources, then treats and reuses it for beneficial purposes such as irrigation, livestock water supply, groundwater replenishment, and environmental restoration.
Why is it Important?
Water recycling provides alternatives to existing water supplies, reducing surface and groundwater depletion. This helps prevent decreased water levels, increased withdrawal costs, water quality deterioration, land subsidence, stressed vegetation and livestock, degraded wildlife habitat, and negative impacts on neighboring water resources.
Real-World Examples
- Texas: Rainfall runoff piped from gutters into storage tanks, then to livestock troughs via gravity pipeline with first flush diversion.
- Arkansas: 60-acre irrigation reservoir captures rainwater and field runoff for rice irrigation using side inlet.
- Florida: Nursery cooling pads drain excess water into tanks for recirculation, replenishing only evaporation losses.
- Pakistan: Reclaimed water used in bucket drip irrigation for vegetable gardens.
Conservation Practice Standards
436 Irrigation Reservoir
Stores diverted surface water, groundwater, or tailwater for later reuse.
606/607 Subsurface Drain
Collects and conveys excess water for beneficial reuse, improving soil and water relationships.
558 Roof Runoff Structure
Gutters collect roof precipitation for other uses.
636 Water Harvesting Catchment
Harvests water from impervious surfaces for storage and conservation.
605/604 Denitrifying Bioreactor
Reduces nitrate in drainage for improved water quality and reuse.
632 Waste Separation Facility
Reduces solids in waste streams for liquid recycling.
447 Irrigation Tailwater Recovery
Stores and reuses recoverable irrigation and runoff.
Interim: 815/817 Groundwater Recharge
Recharges aquifers with runoff for future reuse.
For more information, contact your local NRCS Office.
nrcs.usda.gov
Benefits of Water Recycling
Water recycling provides reliable alternatives to traditional water supplies, safeguarding resources for future generations.
Reduces Depletion
Minimizes surface and groundwater depletion, preventing decreased water levels and resource strain.
Lowers Costs
Decreases water withdrawal costs while improving overall water quality and availability.
Protects Ecosystems
Prevents land subsidence, stressed vegetation and livestock, habitat degradation, and impacts on neighboring resources.
Conserves Energy
Supports practices like tailwater recovery that reduce energy use and enhance offsite water quality.
Enables Reuse
Reclaims water for irrigation, livestock, groundwater replenishment, and environmental restoration.
Start Recycling Water Today
Reclaim water from various sources, treat it, and reuse for irrigation, livestock, and environmental restoration. Reduce depletion, cut costs, and protect resources—contact your local NRCS Office to implement now.