随着对优质水的需求增加，美国的一些地区发现，传统的有限水源无法满足所有需求。尽管许多公用事业公司从以前在上游使用过的水中提取饮用水，但由于健康影响和成本方面的未知因素，将处理过的水直接用于饮用水供应受到限制。本文讨论了废水回用的历史应用，并考虑了废水回用的当前应用。废水的潜在用途包括:工业再利用；农业再利用；城市不可移动再利用；饮用水再利用；地下水补给。还讨论了饮用水和非饮用水回收废水的水质要求。 包括19个参考文献和表格。

As demand for good quality water increases, some areas in the United States find that traditional finite sources cannot meet all needs. Although many utilities draw potable supplies from water that has previously been used upstream, the direct reuse of treated water for potable supplies is limited by unknowns concerning health effects and by costs. This paper discusses the historical application of wastewater reuse and considers current applications of wastewater reuse. Potential uses of wastewater include: industrial reuse; agricultural reuse; urban nonpotable reuse; potable reuse; and groundwater recharge. Also discussed are water quality requirements for reclaimed wastewater for potable and nonpotable uses. Includes 19 references, tables.