The potable reuse of water has occurred throughout time as communities that grew up along rivers took their supplies from the river and disposed of their waste into the same river. The natural flow of the river served as a physical and symbolic purification mechanism that made reuse acceptable to downstream communities. Increases in knowledge about water contamination led to an expanding suite of water treatment technologies, but did not change the basic relationship. Now, although potable reuse of water is not a new concept, the intentional reuse by one community of its own wastewater is new to most people. For this reason, a great deal of study and debate surrounds the issue, as water managers, policy makers, regulators, and public safety advocates face prospects for its implementation.