A method for recovering demineralized water from zirconium-containing rinse water having a pH lower than 6.0, wherein a) the rinse water has added to it an aqueous solution of Ca(OH).sub.2 containing no more than 0.1 wt% undissolved Ca(OH).sub.2, in a quantity such that the pH of the rinse water rises to a value in the range from 6.2 to 8.0, b) a precipitate that forms is separated from the rinse water, and c) the rinse water from which the precipitate was removed in step b) is subjected to an ion exchange method or to reverse osmosis.