Policy 6: Water Reuse Policy
The Met Council works with partners to reduce barriers, pursue opportunities, and support efforts to reuse stormwater and wastewater, while balancing public and ecosystem health and financial viability.
The region has already begun to explore and implement ways to lessen its reliance on our water resources by reusing treated stormwater and wastewater for non-potable purposes. Stormwater reuse is the practice of harvesting stormwater runoff to meet non-potable water demands (for example, irrigation, toilet flushing, etc.). Wastewater reuse is the practice of treating wastewater effluent to a level that allows for potable or nonpotable use before releasing it back into the water cycle. This highly treated wastewater, called reclaimed water, must meet water quality guidelines established by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency before it can be used. Reuse can be a cost-effective and watersmart solution for industrial or growing areas, or when there may be barriers to accessing groundwater for nonpotable uses.
Changes in climate and continued growth in the region have increased demands on and added stress to water supply systems, ecosystems, and valued water resources. Water reuse can offset the demands being placed on surface waters and groundwater. The metro region may not have an immediate need to implement reuse for drinking water sources as in the arid southwest, but we are seeing clear impacts on our surface water and groundwater quality and quantities, and associated ecosystem impacts. These impacts may continue or become more advanced in the future as populations grow and climate change influences become more severe. Therefore, alongside the implementation of reuse for nonpotable purposes, we need to begin proactively considering the reuse of water for potable purposes in the region to be prepared for future scenarios where those investments are needed.
The state and other partners in the region are also exploring engineered systems, like advanced aquifer recharge, to replenish and sustain water sources. Continuing to support and explore these systems and techniques is valuable, as there is a great potential to reduce impacts to water sources, ecosystems, and water utilities, while addressing fundamental water sustainability issues in the region. However, techniques like advanced aquifer recharge face many technical, economic, and regulatory obstacles that have so far made their implementation a significant challenge.
The Met Council supports furthering the implementation and use of stormwater and wastewater reuse across the region. Requests have been and will continue to be made to use reclaimed water from Met Council water resource recovery facilities for various purposes. In response to past requests, the Met Council convened a task force to determine a cost-sharing approach to wastewater reuse. That approach is shared in Appendix D and continues to stand as the Met Council’s financial commitment to future reclaimed water projects.
Desired outcomes:
- Water reuse projects are implemented across the region by our partners and are supported by the Met Council through financial and technical support.
- State guidelines on stormwater reuse are clarified and barriers to implement stormwater reuse are reduced.
- Stormwater reuse guidelines for the state and region balance the needs of implementors, state agencies, public health, and financial cost, while furthering sustainable waters.
- Reclaimed wastewater reuse is implemented at Met Council facilities and a regular part of our operations.
Actions
Actions are grouped under the categories of Partner, Plan, and Provide to better tell the story of how policy produces results.
Partner
- Work with agency partners to better define agency roles and responsibilities for reuse and reduce barriers for reuse in Minnesota.
- Advocate for and participate in interagency collaboration to understand the effectiveness of water reuse and infiltration as a stormwater management practice, while considering flooding, drought, and a range of potential climate futures.
- Collaborate with partners to determine direction on whether further guidance and/or regulation is needed for the various stormwater reuse practices being installed in the metro region. Work with partners and agencies to better understand the risks and cost-effectiveness associated with all types of reuse before decisions are made about guidance or regulation.
- Work with and support local partners on their stormwater reuse projects and provide guidance and resources to help partners plan and implement those projects.
- Support research on the benefits, costs, and feasibility of using reclaimed water for high-volume industrial, agricultural, or commercial purposes and for groundwater injection.
Plan
- Identify and evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of best practices that enhance groundwater recharge and make the best use of reclaimed water and stormwater while protecting source water quality.
- Identify and plan for long-range regional investments in reclaimed water use that protect source water quality and quantity.
- Identify criteria for viable reclaimed water projects including, but not limited to, reducing effluent contaminant concentrations to match the water quality need associated with the intended reuse.
- Pursue sources of external funding to complement Met Council funding of reclaimed water projects, including Clean Water Legacy Funds, state bond funds, and reuse grants.
- Encourage local efforts to plan for multi-development stormwater capture and reuse in developing areas.
Provide
- Promote and invest in stormwater and wastewater reuse, both internally and regionally, as viable alternatives to augment nonpotable water uses to support regional growth when feasible.
- Use reclaimed water to meet nonpotable water needs within Met Council water resource recovery facilities where economically feasible.
- Support our partners in their water reuse goals and projects through technical assistance such as information, educational resources, example ordinance language, potential grant or financial support, and other implementation support.
- Report on all wastewater reuse study and project activities at the Met Council’s annual budget outreach meetings.
- Follow the cost-sharing and project implementation recommendations of the 2017 Task Force (in Appendix D) when cost-sharing for any wastewater reuse projects with the Met Council.
