OAR 340-055-0012: Recycled Water Quality Standards and Requirements

(1) Any person having control over the treatment or distribution or both of recycled water may distribute recycled water only for the beneficial purposes described in this rule, and must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the recycled water is used only in accordance with the standards and requirements of the rules of this division. (2) Any person who uses recycled water may use recycled water only for the beneficial purposes described in this rule, and must comply with the standards and requirements of this rule and the rules of this division. (3) The following requirements apply to nondisinfected recycled water. (a) Beneficial Purposes. Nondisinfected recycled water may be used only for the following beneficial purposes and only if the rules of this division are met: (A) Irrigation for growing fodder, fiber, seed crops not intended for human ingestion, or commercial timber; and (B) Any beneficial purpose authorized in writing by the department pursuant to OAR 340-055-0016(6). (b) Treatment. Nondisinfected recycled water must be an oxidized wastewater. (c) Criteria. There are no disinfection criteria for nondisinfected recycled water. (d) Monitoring. Monitoring must be in accordance with the wastewater treatment system owner’s NPDES or WPCF permit. (e) Setback Distances. There must be a minimum of 150 feet from the edge of the irrigation site to a water supply source used for human consumption. Other site specific setback distances for irrigation necessary to protect public health and the environment must be established in the recycled water use plan and must be met when irrigating. (f) Access and Exposure. Public access to the irrigation site must be prevented. (g) Site Management. (A) Irrigation with recycled water is prohibited for 30 days before harvesting. (B) Sprinkler irrigation is prohibited unless authorized in advance and in writing by the department based on demonstration that public health and the environment will be adequately protected from aerosols. (4) The following requirements apply to Class D recycled water. (a) Beneficial Purposes. Class D recycled water may be used only for the following beneficial purposes and only if the rules of this division are met: (A) Any beneficial purpose defined in subsection (3)(a) of this rule; (B) Irrigation of firewood, ornamental nursery stock, Christmas trees, sod, or pasture for animals; and (C) Any beneficial purpose authorized in writing by the department pursuant to OAR 340-055-0016(6). (b) Treatment. Class D recycled water must be an oxidized and disinfected wastewater that meets the numeric criteria in subsection (c) of this section. (c) Criteria. Class D recycled water must not exceed a 30-day log mean of 126 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters and 406 E. coli organisms per 100 milliliters in any single sample. (d) Monitoring. Monitoring for E. coli organisms must occur once per week at a minimum. (e) Setback Distances. (A) Where an irrigation method is used to apply recycled water directly to the soil, there must be a minimum of 10 feet from the edge of the site used for irrigation and the site property line. (B) Where sprinkler irrigation is used, there must be a minimum of 100 feet from the edge of the site used for irrigation and the site property line. (C) There must be a minimum of 100 feet from the edge of an irrigation site to a water supply source used for human consumption. (D) Where sprinkler irrigation is used, recycled water must not be sprayed within 70 feet of an area where food is prepared or served, or where a drinking fountain is located. (f) Access and Exposure. (A) Animals used for production of milk must be restricted from direct contact with the recycled water. (B) When using recycled water for irrigation of sod, ornamental nursery stock, or Christmas trees, the personnel at the use area must be notified that the water used is recycled water and is not safe for drinking. The recycled water use plan must specify how notification will be provided. (g) Site Management. (A) When irrigating, signs must be posted around the perimeter of the irrigation site stating recycled water is used and is not safe for drinking. (B) Irrigation of fodder, fiber, seed crops not intended for human ingestion, sod, commercial timber, firewood, ornamental nursery stock, or Christmas trees is prohibited for three days before harvesting. (5) The following requirements apply to Class C recycled water. (a) Beneficial Purposes. Class C recycled water may be used only for the following beneficial purposes and only if the rules of this division are met: (A) Any beneficial purpose defined in subsection (4)(a) of this rule; (B) Irrigation of processed food crops; (C) Irrigation of orchards or vineyards if an irrigation method is used to apply recycled water directly to the soil; (D) Landscape irrigation of golf courses, cemeteries, highway medians, or industrial or business campuses; (E) Industrial, commercial, or construction uses limited to: industrial cooling, rock crushing, aggregate washing, mixing concrete, dust control, nonstructural fire fighting using aircraft, street sweeping, or sanitary sewer flushing; (F) Water supply source for landscape impoundments; and (G) Any beneficial purpose authorized in writing by the department pursuant to OAR 340-055-0016(6). (b) Treatment. Class C recycled water must be an oxidized and disinfected wastewater that meets the numeric criteria in subsection (c) of this section. (c) Criteria. Class C recycled water must not exceed a median of 23 total coliform organisms per 100 milliliters, based on results of the last seven days that analyses have been completed, and 240 total coliform organisms per 100 milliliters in any two consecutive samples. (d) Monitoring. Monitoring for total coliform organisms must occur once per week at a minimum. (e) Setback Distances. (A) Where an irrigation method is used to apply recycled water directly to the soil, there must be a minimum of 10 feet from the edge of the site used for irrigation and the site property line. (B) Where sprinkler irrigation is used, there must be a minimum of 70 feet from the edge of the site used for irrigation and the site property line. (C) There must be a minimum of 100 feet from the edge of an irrigation site to a water supply source used for human consumption. (D) Where sprinkler irrigation is used, recycled water must not be sprayed within 70 feet of an area where food is being prepared or served, or where a drinking fountain is located. (f) Access and Exposure. (A) When irrigating for a beneficial purpose defined in subsection (4)(a) of this rule, the access and exposure requirements defined in subsection (4)(f) of this rule must be met. (B) During irrigation of a golf course, a cemetery, a highway median, or an industrial or business campus, the public must be restricted from direct contact with the recycled water. (C) If aerosols are generated when using recycled water for an industrial, commercial, or construction purpose, the aerosols must not create a public health hazard. (D) When using recycled water for an agricultural or horticultural purpose where sprinkler irrigation is used, or an industrial, commercial, or construction purpose, the public and personnel at the use area must be notified that the water used is recycled water and is not safe for drinking. The recycled water use plan must specify how notification will be provided. (g) Site Management. (A) When irrigating for a beneficial purpose defined in subsection (4)(a) of this rule, the site management requirements defined in subsection (4)(g) of this rule must be met. (B) When using recycled water for a landscape impoundment or for irrigating a golf course, cemetery, highway median, or industrial or business campus, signs must be posted at the use area and be visible to the public. The signs must state that recycled water is used and is not safe for drinking. (C) Irrigation of processed food crops is prohibited for three days before harvesting. (D) When irrigating an orchard or vineyard, the edible portion of the crop must not contact the ground, and fruit or nuts may not be harvested off the ground. (E) When using recycled water for a landscape impoundment, aerators or decorative fixtures that may generate aerosols are allowed only if authorized in writing by the department. (6) The following requirements apply to Class B recycled water. (a) Beneficial Purposes. Class B recycled water may be used only for the following beneficial purposes and only if the rules of this division are met: (A) Any beneficial purpose defined in subsection (5)(a) of this rule; (B) Stand-alone fire suppression systems in commercial and residential buildings, non-residential toilet or urinal flushing, or floor drain trap priming; (C) Water supply source for restricted recreational impoundments; and (D) Any beneficial purpose authorized in writing by the department pursuant to OAR 340-055-0016(6). (b) Treatment. Class B recycled water must be an oxidized and disinfected wastewater that meets the numeric criteria in subsection (c) of this section. (c) Criteria. Class B recycled water must not exceed a median of 2.2 total coliform organisms per 100 milliliters, based on results of the last seven days that analyses have been completed, and 23 total coliform organisms per 100 milliliters in any single sample. (d) Monitoring. Monitoring for total coliform organisms must occur three times per week at a minimum. (e) Setback Distances. (A) Where an irrigation method is used to apply recycled water directly to the soil, there are no setback requirements. (B) Where sprinkler irrigation is used, there must be a minimum of 10 feet from the edge of the site used for irrigation and the site property line. (C) There must be a minimum of 50 feet from the edge of the irrigation site to a water supply source used for human consumption. (D) Where sprinkler irrigation is used, recycled water must not be sprayed within 10 feet of an area where food is being prepared or served, or where a drinking fountain is located. (f) Access and Exposure. (A) During irrigation of a golf course, the public must be restricted from direct contact with the recycled water. (B) If aerosols are generated when using recycled water for an industrial, commercial, or construction purpose, the aerosols must not create a public health hazard. (C) When using recycled water for an agricultural or horticultural purpose where sprinkler irrigation is used, or an industrial, commercial, or construction purpose, the public and personnel at the use area must be notified that the water used is recycled water and is not safe for drinking. The recycled water use plan must specify how notification will be provided. (g) Site Management. (A) When irrigating for a beneficial purpose defined in subsection (4)(a) of this rule, the site management requirements defined in subsection (4)(g) of this rule must be met. (B) When using recycled water for a landscape impoundment or for irrigating a golf course, cemetery, highway median, or industrial or business campus, signs must be posted at the use area and be visible to the public. The signs must state recycled water is used and is not safe for drinking. (C) Irrigation of processed food crops is prohibited for three days before harvesting. (D) When irrigating an orchard or vineyard, the edible portion of the crop must not contact the ground, and fruit or nuts may not be harvested off the ground. (7) The following requirements apply to Class A recycled water. (a) Beneficial Purposes. Class A recycled water may be used only for the following beneficial purposes and only if the rules of this division are met: (A) Any beneficial purpose defined in subsection (6)(a) of this rule; (B) Irrigation for any agricultural or horticultural use; (C) Landscape irrigation of parks, playgrounds, school yards, residential landscapes, or other landscapes accessible to the public; (D) Commercial car washing or fountains when the water is not intended for human consumption; (E) Water supply source for nonrestricted recreational impoundments; (F) Artificial groundwater recharge by surface infiltration methods or by subsurface injection in accordance with OAR chapter 340, division 44. Direct injection into an underground source of drinking water is prohibited unless allowed by OAR chapter 340, division 44; and (G) Any beneficial purpose authorized in writing by the department pursuant to OAR 340-055-0016(6). (b) Treatment. Class A recycled water must be an oxidized, filtered and disinfected wastewater that meets the numeric criteria in subsection (c) of this section are met. (c) Criteria. Class A recycled water must not exceed the following criteria: (A) Before disinfection, unless otherwise approved in writing by the department, the wastewater must be treated with a filtration process, and the turbidity must not exceed an average of 2 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU) within a 24-hour period, 5 NTU more than five percent of the time within a 24-hour period, and 10 NTU at any time, and (B) After disinfection, Class A recycled water must not exceed a median of 2.2 total coliform organisms per 100 milliliters, based on results of the last seven days that analyses have been completed, and 23 total coliform organisms per 100 milliliters in any single sample. (d) Monitoring. (A) Monitoring for total coliform organisms must occur once per day at a minimum. (B) Monitoring for turbidity must occur on an hourly basis at a minimum. (e) Setback Distances. Where sprinkler irrigation is used, recycled water must not be sprayed onto an area where food is being prepared or served, or onto a drinking fountain. (f) Access and Exposure. When using recycled water for an agricultural or horticultural purpose where spray irrigation is used, or an industrial, commercial, or construction purpose, the public and personnel at the use area must be notified that the water used is recycled water and is not safe for drinking. The recycled water use plan must specify how notification will be provided. (g) Site Management. When using recycled water for a landscape impoundment, restricted recreational impoundment, nonrestricted recreational impoundment, or for irrigating a golf course, cemetery, highway median, industrial or business campus, park, playground, school yard, residential landscape, or other landscapes accessible to the public, signs must be posted at the use area or notification must be made to the public at the use area indicating recycled water is used and is not safe for drinking. The recycled water use plan must specify how notification will be provided.