Freshwater Supply: Interior Should Continue to Identify Improvements to the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program

What GAO Found Some communities facing water scarcity are turning to water recycling as a strategy to replenish and conserve their existing water sources. Water recycling (reuse) involves treating wastewater or other unusable water so that it can be used by the public. In addition to replenishing and conserving existing water sources, water recycling can reduce the need to import water from other regions and improve resilience to droughts and other disasters, such as wildfires.

In 2021 the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) directed the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Large-Scale Water Recycling Program. This program awards grants to fund up to 25 percent of a project with an estimated total cost of at least $500 million. In 2024 Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation selec