Reclaimed Wastewater
The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) created a series of alternative water maps to help federal agencies strategically plan where to implement alternative water projects. Alternative water is water supplied by sustainable sources that can be used to help offset the use of fresh surface water and groundwater (such as lakes and aquifers).
Alternative water sources include:
- Harvested rainwater
- Captured condensate from air handling units
- Reclaimed wastewater.
Alternative water is typically used in non-potable applications such as irrigation, cooling tower make-up, and vehicle wash.
Maps
- Rainwater Harvesting:
- Rainwater harvesting regulations: State-by-state listing of rainwater harvesting regulations
- Rainwater availability: Range of available rainwater for harvesting across the U.S.
- Rainwater availability for landscape irrigation: Range of available rainwater across the U.S. to supplement irrigation requirements of traditional landscaping
- Condensate Capture Potential: Ranking across the U.S. for capturing condensate
- Reclaimed Wastewater: Water utilities that produce reclaimed wastewater and provide it to their customers
For more information, see FEMP's Best Management Practice #14: Alternative Water Sources.
Tools
- Rainwater Harvesting: Tool that estimates the amount of monthly rainfall that can be harvested from rooftops or other hard surfaces.