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Good practice Imported

Wichita Falls Emergency Direct Potable Reuse — A One-Year Drought Stopgap That Became Indirect Reuse

United States of America · Wichita Falls · See the United States of America profile

Top 89% 27/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

During a severe drought Wichita Falls ran an emergency direct potable reuse system from July 2014 to July 2015, achieving 9.2/12.3/9.3-log virus/Giardia/Crypto removal, then moved to a permanent indirect scheme.

Details

Promoter
City of Wichita Falls, Texas
Period
2014–2015
Keywords
water reuse, direct potable reuse, drought

Description

With combined reservoir storage down from 83% (2011) to below 23% (2014), Wichita Falls, Texas, had no regulatory framework for direct potable reuse; the city and the state environmental regulator developed treatment guidelines together. The emergency system operated from 9 July 2014 to 21 July 2015, blending purified effluent with treated reservoir water.
A peer-reviewed water-quality study reports log removal values of 9.2 (viruses), 12.3 (Giardia) and 9.3 (Cryptosporidium), exceeding Texas requirements, with intensive testing throughout. The city ran an educational campaign; one account reports no complaints though bottled-water sales rose 9% at local stores.
The DPR plant was a stopgap: the city had evaluated 22 strategies and moved to a roughly US$35 million permanent indirect potable reuse scheme storing effluent in Lake Arrowhead. Reported capacity varies between sources. Ecological outcomes are not documented.

Read the full analysis: https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/opfl.1499

Implementation

Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.

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