News from the Leading Advocate for Water Reuse
News from the Leading Advocate for Water Reuse
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WateReuse Review

March 28, 2022
Washington Update
Water Week 2022 – Radhika Fox Confirmed as Featured Speaker
 

Washington, DC | April 27, 2022

Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water, is confirmed to address attendees at the National Water Policy Fly-In on April 27. Register now and book your hotel before the discount rate expires on April 4!

Your fellow water professionals are making their plans to attend, so don’t miss your chance to network with your peers and help ensure that water recycling continues to be an integral part of the national water policy discussion. Your presence in Washington, DC sends a strong message to EPA, the Bureau of Reclamation, and Capitol Hill about the importance of every community having safe, sustainable, reliable, and affordable water. As always, the agenda features key Members of Congress and senior EPA and other government officials as they discuss major federal legislative and regulatory water policies and initiatives.

If you have questions about Water Week or need help setting up your hill visits, contact Greg Fogel.

The National Water Week Policy Fly In is co-hosted by the WateReuse Association, Water Environment Federation, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, and Water Research Foundation.

 
Register for the Fly-In
Senate Bill for Decentralized Water Pilot Projects Introduced

Last week, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the WASH Sector Development Act of 2022 (S.3893) in the Committee of Environment and Public Works. The bill aims to establish a pilot fund for decentralized water projects including water reuse and create a mechanism to accurately count U.S. households without access to water and sanitation. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Jeff Merkley of Oregon.

EPA Releases 2021 WIFIA Report; $3 billion in Water Reuse Loans

The 2021 Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Annual Report was released last week, highlighting $3 billion in support for water reuse projects out of $13 billion total in project financing throughout the lifetime of the program. WateReuse members were among the recipients of funding in 2021, including Alexandria Renew, Baltimore Public Works, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, King County, Los Angeles City Sanitation, Miami-Dade County, Orange County Water District, City of Roseville, Sacramento County Water Agency, City of San Diego, and Silicon Valley Clean Water. Read more.
Infrastructure Update: WateReuse Joins Coalition Urging Public Comment on Buy America

WateReuse has signed onto a letter led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Information Technology Industry Council, urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to open a public comment period on the implementation of the Build America, Buy America provision of the bipartisan infrastructure law. Public comment will support the timely and strategic procurement of essential equipment to enable the implementation of the provision. The letter details the importance of stakeholder input as OMB develops guidance on Buy America implementation. Earlier this year, WateReuse along with seven other water industry associations submitted a letter urging OMB and EPA to engage with stakeholders.

EPA Administrator Highlights Water Reuse in New Agricultural Climate Charges

EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, announced a set of new charges for the agency’s Farm, Ranch, & Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC) to evaluate EPA’s policies and programs at the intersection of agriculture and climate change. Among the six specific topics identified for evaluation by the FRRCC are “water management and reuse strategies to address water scarcity.” The FRRCC was established in 2007 to provide independent policy advice, information, and recommendations to the Administrator on environmental issues important to agricultural and rural communities. WateReuse commends the agency’s leadership in the nexus of agriculture, climate change, and water reuse.

State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Member!

PosyGlobal joins the WateReuse Association under the leadership of President Phyllis Butler Posy, known for her advocacy of public health and her successful implementation of unique and innovative solutions.
CA: Pure Water Oceanside Celebrates World Water Day with Water Reuse Ribbon Cutting
 

The City of Oceanside celebrated the Pure Water Oceanside project with a ribbon-cutting event on World Water Day. Pure Water Oceanside will purify recycled water to provide a local supply that is clean, safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. The project will “improve the quality and quantity of our local aquifer and reduce our reliance on imported water, ensuring clean and reliable water is available for future generations,” said Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez. Read more.
 
OR: Data Center Partners with Farmers to Recycle Water

Amazon Web Services and community leaders from Umatilla, Oregon are working together on a sustainable solution to reuse the water from data center cooling for crop irrigation. The water reuse system provides farmers and residents in Umatilla and Morrow counties with millions of gallons of water each year. Read more.
TX: Brewery Looks to Recycle Water, Increase Resiliency

Anheuser-Bush and Cambrian are following the lead of Anchor Brewing and looking to recycle water that was previously discarded from industrial brewery processes. A new plant in Houston, Texas, set to open this summer will reduce the brewery’s reliance on new water from the community’s municipal water supply by 10%. Read more.
Op Ed: Many Drivers will Accelerate Water Reuse Nationwide

An article in One Water News highlighted the variety of drivers that are increasing adoption of water reuse. The article quotes experts who spoke during plenary sessions of the 37th Annual WateReuse Symposium to highlight how drivers such as climate change, water quality standards, and corporate environmental, social, and governance metrics are leading to water reuse in new regions and industries. Read more.
International Update
Scientist Honored for Critical Reuse Technology Invention
 

Singapore honored Japanese scientist Kazuo Yamamoto with the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for a key water reuse technology breakthrough. Yamamoto invented the submerged membrane bioreactor, a breakthrough in the field of water treatment and reuse. Read more.
WateReuse Member Resources and Benefits
Need to Illustrate the Value of Water Reuse Investment? Use Our Flyer and Infographic

Utilities must make a compelling case to ratepayers, policymakers, and other stakeholders that investment in water recycling is the right decision. Use our flyer and infographic to illustrate that Investment in water reuse builds communities that are modern, sustainable and stable—ready for families to flourish and businesses to grow. The infographic highlights examples of recycled water from coast to coast and documents the value they bring.
Recycled Water Infographic
WateReuse Conferences, Webcasts, and Events
On-Demand WateReuse Symposium

On-Demand from Anywhere |  Ongoing until April 30, 2022

This year’s theme, Water Reuse: Shaping Our Past & Charting Our Future, is a call to action for the water reuse community to tap into innovation and address the urgency of our changing Earth, including floods, fires, droughts, and pandemics. View recordings of five plenary sessions and over 50 technical sessions, access PowerPoint presentations and earn Professional Development Hours.

Register
Enabling Resilient Communities through a National Smart One Water Strategy

April 6, 2022
11 am PT | 2:00 pm ET | (1 hour)

Join this webcast to learn how Virginia Tech's Smart One Water Management collaborative academic research effort can advance the implementation of water reuse.

The planned research investigates how people interact with smart water services, as well as advancing national-scale cyberinfrastructure for adaptive management of water systems, driven by societal needs for resilience, sustainability, and social justice. Areas of focus include governance and implementation, innovation ecosystems, workforce development, diversity and stakeholders, and water reuse.
Register
Direct Potable Reuse in the Four Corners

May 18th, 2022
11 am PT | 2:00 pm ET | (1 hour)

The Four Corners region includes the arid western states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. These four states have several common challenges to providing reliable water supplies: rapid population growth, severe long term drought conditions, and dwindling or overallocated natural water sources. Indirect potable reuse is currently being practiced in these states, often through managed groundwater replenishment or incidental means. Is engineered potable reuse the next step to building safe, reliable, and resilient water resource portfolios?

While water utilities in the Four Corners states are taking steps toward direct potable reuse (DPR), each of these states face different implementation challenges. This panel discussion delves into the progress and issues regarding DPR in the region.
Register
 

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