Most Colorado River states lag in water recycling: New study

​States in the Colorado River Basin are missing a significant opportunity to alleviate the region's historic water crisis, according to a recent report by University of California, Los Angeles and the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

The analysis reveals that only 26% of treated municipal wastewater is reused across the seven states reliant on the overextended river, which supplies water to more than 40 million people.​

Arizona and Nevada lead in wastewater recycling, reusing 52% and 85% of their treated wastewater, respectively. In contrast, California recycles only 22%, despite being the region's largest wastewater producer and having set ambitious recycled water goals in 2009. New Mexico reuses 18%, while Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah recycle less than 4%, with Utah trailing at less than 1%.​

"We're facing a hotter, drier future, and we need to pursue water recycling aggressively if we're going to ensure a sustainable, resilient water supply for the Colorado Basin," Noah Garrison, a water researcher at UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, said. "Even recycling 40% of our wastewater could make a dramatic difference, and we have two states already above 50%, showing this is an entirely feasible solution."​

The report also highlights a "data desert" — a lack of basic tracking on wastewater reuse. Researchers had to contact treatment plants individually across several states to obtain information, underscoring the absence of consistent reporting systems and a broader breakdown in oversight.​

The study points to systemic issues such as prolonged drought, climate change, overuse, and outdated infrastructure as contributing factors to the crisis. It also emphasizes a lack of national coordination and fragmented state policies as major barriers. 

There are currently no federal standards for wastewater reuse exist, and only a few states have established comprehensive regulations.​