Recycling wastewater can extend water supplies, improve water quality, reduce discharge and disposal costs of wastewater, and save energy.

Man-made water recycling, also known as water reclamation or water reuse, centers on using treated wastewater.

Most recycled water comes from treated municipal wastewater or sewage, though other sources include domestic gray water.

Examples of water sources and use applications

• Irrigation for agriculture
• Irrigation for landscaping such as parks, rights-of-ways, and golf courses
• Municipal water supply
• Process water for power plants, refineries, mills, and factories
• Indoor uses such as toilet flushing
• Dust control or surface cleaning of roads, construction sites, and other trafficked areas
• Concrete mixing and other construction processes
• Supplying artificial lakes and inland or coastal aquifers

Environmental restoration