WateReuse Association members convened for the National Water Policy Fly-In last Wednesday. “We’re trying to normalize water reuse as part of how we do business as a water sector,” said Sharon Nappier, National Water Reuse Expert for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) during one of the day’s expert panels. Radhika Fox, Assistant Administrator for the U.S. EPA Office of Water, led the program with comments that highlighted infrastructure funding and climate resiliency goals. Participants also heard directly from Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), Senator Shelly Capito (R-WV), Ranking Member of EPW, and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). Read more.

During Water Week, WateReuse staff and members from across the country met with their congressional representatives to advocate for water reuse and recycling programs and policies. Members’ top request to legislators was to include $25 million for the Alternative Water Source Grants Pilot Program in fiscal year 2023 appropriations. This program funding was authorized in 2021’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the program can begin as soon as Congress appropriates the funds.

Burns & McDonnell joins the WateReuse Association as a team of over 10,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, and architects who are on the forefront of evaluating and implementing water reuse projects including direct and indirect potable, irrigation (municipal and agricultural), industrial, livestock watering and constructed wetlands.

Marana Water plans to more-than-double their water recycling customers within the next 10 years. To meet this growing customer demand, they have identified over 30 capital improvement projects for the next five years to expand their infrastructure. Read more.

Partners in the Bay Area continue to advance a multi-agency Potable Reuse Exploratory Plan, as highlighted in a recent article and presentation to San Mateo City Council. San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, Redwood City, The City of San Mateo, Cal Water, and Silicon Valley Clean Water are ready to move forward with preliminary design and environmental documentation for an advanced water purification facility to recycle water to drinking standards. Read more.

OneWater Nevada’s Advanced Purified Water Demonstration Project has been named the 2021 project of the year by the Truckee Meadows American Society of Civil Engineers. The project was a joint effort between the Truckee Meadows Water Authority (TMWA), University of Nevada, Reno, and the City of Reno to treat reclaimed water, inject the water underground, and then recover the water for beneficial use. "Advanced purified water provides our region with an opportunity to create a new and sustainable water supply option,” said Dr. Lydia Teel, TMWA Emerging Resources Program Administrator. “Instead of using a resource only once, we can recycle and reuse water in a safe and reliable manner to create a drought-proof water supply for our future.” Read more.

The WateReuse Profiles in Reuse series provides easy-to-use messages, information, and case-studies on important topics. Profiles in Reuse: Potable Reuse provides a starting point for any conversation about the safety, reliability, and technology of recycling water to drinking standards. Use this Profile to talk to ratepayers, elected officials, colleagues, or any other stakeholder.

May 12, 2022
7 am PT | 10 am ET (1.5 hours)
Free

Presented in collaboration with the International Water Association, a panel of water reuse experts will explore industrial water reuse applications in North America across energy production, data centers, food & beverage, automotive, and other industries. The panel will highlight the motivations, cost-benefits, and impacts industrial reuse can have on water footprints.

WMay 18, 2022
11 am PT | 2:00 pm ET | (1 hour)
Free for members

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 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 take steps toward direct potable reuse (DPR), each of these states face different implementation challenges. This panel delves into the progress and issues regarding DPR in the region.

May 18 & 19, 2022

Participate in tours of the Village of Wellington’s Peaceful Waters Sanctuary on May 18 and Palm Beach County’s Potable Reuse Pilot Project on May 19, as well as a day-long summit on the latest in Florida water recycling.

May 20, 2022
8 am PT | 11 am ET (1 hour)
Free to WateReuse members and registrants for the Florida May 18 Water Reuse Summit.

Florida reuses 34 percent of its wastewater compared to the national average of about 7 percent. A recent statewide survey showed that 75 percent of Floridians are familiar with the concept of using reclaimed water for irrigation, industrial uses, and other non-drinking purposes. However, as the state undergoes record-setting growth and rulemaking for direct potable reuse, additional outreach is needed to gain public acceptance. Water professionals from across the state are working collaboratively through WateReuse Florida to develop and implement consistent messaging on how reuse will safely supply Florida’s future. As Florida celebrates Water Reuse Week, join us to hear about the latest education and outreach efforts happening to support reuse at the local and state level.

Flagstaff, AZ
July 24-26, 2022

The annual meeting of WateReuse Arizona will include panels, presentations, and networking to advance water recycling in the state.

San Francisco, CA
September 11-13, 2022

Joins us for an in-person program including a wealth of technical sessions, panel presentations, tours, and networking opportunities.

Register today to participate in the conference!
Submit your proposal for a presentation now through June 1, 2022.
Submit an award nomination now through June 10, 2022.