October 3, 2014

Alexandria, VA – The WateReuse Association recently honored two creative partnerships that demonstrate how agencies, industries, and producers can work together to increase the water resources pie to meet public demand. The awards were presented during the One Water Innovations Gala in New Orleans on September 28.

“We made a conscious decision to reward partnerships with this award,” said WateReuse Executive Director Melissa Meeker. “The partnership is between a public agency that has shown leadership in our industry and their customer that has shown a willingness to take a chance, do the right thing, and use the right water for the right use.”

Awards were presented to the Monterey Regional Pollution Control Agency and its customer Ocean Mist Farms, as well Clean Water Services and its partner the Oregon Brew Crew.

Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and Ocean Mist Farms

Monterey is located in northern California where various communities on the Monterey Peninsula send their wastewater to be treated. The resulting safe recycled water is used to irrigate farmland in the region. One of those customers is Ocean Mist Farms. Ocean Mist Farms has been in the farming business for eight decades and holds an industry leadership position in sustainable practices involving reducing carbon footprint, using integrated pest management to find creative solutions to pest problems, implementing water quality and water conservation components on the farm, using recycled water, and much more.

Gala attendees were able to feast on produce grown at Ocean Mist Farms with recycled water, including artichokes, strawberries, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, and celery. A two minute video on Ocean Mist Farms is available here: http://youtu.be/Xc1Z0fIdhjA.

Clean Water Services and Oregon Brew Crew

Clean Water Services is a water resources management utility in Oregon’s Tualatin River Watershed that provides wastewater and stormwater services, flood management projects, water quality and stream enhancement projects, fish habitat protection and more. The Oregon Brew Crew is Oregon’s oldest homebrewer’s club, headquartered in Portland. Working together, they created a beer competition in an attempt to eliminate the disconnect between wastewater treatment and the tap.

In June, 1,000 gallons of water was pulled from the Tualatin River immediately downstream from Clean Water Services’ wastewater treatment facility, where the flow is 30 percent effluent. The water was put through Clean Water Services’ high purity water treatment system to clean it above and beyond drinking water standards. After purification, the water was offered to Portland-area home brewers who used it to brew beer for the Oregon Brew Crew’s groundbreaking Pure Water Brew competition.

Thirteen brewers crafted 16 styles of beer and the four winning brews were served at the Gala. A three minute video on the Pure Water Brew Competition is available here: http://youtu.be/axi5SyuVUMQ.