Reclaimed water is the water effluent from the sewage treatment plants. Its quality and use is regulated by the State (as opposed to potable water which is regulated by the EPA). It is not suitable for drinking, but is commonly used for water lawns and other landscaping.

Flagstaff has two sewage treatment plants; the Rio de Flag and Wildcat Waste Water Treatment Plant.

The required quality of this water has been a moving target as we have learned more about the contaminants in this water, and their effects on both people and the environment. There are many sources of these contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, use of industrial chemicals and many others.  Only recently have the laboratory tests been available to understand what the contaminants are, and how much is in our reclaimed water.

Many studies have been done to understand the effects of these contaminants on amphibians and other animals, but there is still much to learn. The effects on humans is not known, but if other animals are affected it is suspected that humans might be also.

Many locations in the West have water supply problems, and one solution to this is re-use of cleaned-up reclaimed water as potable water.  In this scenario the contaminants become even more important for human health.  The EPA and many others) are studying this problem and has identified a list of chemical that could be a problem (CECs – Chemicals of Emerging Concern).  While the waste-water can be devoid of living organisms, there may be gene fragments that may pose a health risk because they can still be picked up by other live-organisms.  In particular there is worry that DNA from disease-resistant bacteria might pose a human risk