Matching Water Quality to Use (Resource Management Strategy)

Matching water quality to use is a management strategy that recognizes that not all water uses require the same water quality. One common measure of water quality is its suitability for an intended use; a water quality constituent often is only considered a contaminant when that constituent adversely affects the intended use of the water. High-quality water sources can be used for drinking and industrial purposes that benefit from higher quality water and lesser quality water can be adequate for some uses.

For example, a water supplier chooses to use a groundwater source for municipal use, which requires less treatment before delivery, rather than a natural stream. The potential benefit to the municipal user could be reduced disinfection byproducts in the delivered drinking water source and a secondary benefit would accrue to the natural riparian system because water would be left instream. Further, some new water supplies, such as recycled water, can be treated to a wide range of purities that can be matched to different uses.

The use of other water sources, like recycled water, can serve as a new source of water that substitutes for uses not requiring potable water quality. Instream uses are directly influenced by discharges from wastewater treatment and stormwater flows and these source discharges can provide benefits and challenges to uses such as aquatic life and recreation.