Happy New Year, WateReuse Texas! Yes, I know it's already February, but 2024 is off to a busy start. Much of the state has received some very welcome rain, even if a few spots got it in a shorter than ideal time frame. While that helps to raise some lake and aquifer levels, it doesn't change the long term trends that argue strongly for the importance of water reuse in Texas. We continue to experience rapid growth in many communities across the state, and we know that while we may have a wet El Niño cycle for a season, the next drought (and the one after) is inevitable, and reuse projects don't happen overnight.

We have a proud legacy of innovative and diverse reuse projects in Texas, including the El Paso groundwater recharge project with several decades of operation, DPR in Big Spring (now over ten years of operation) and Wichita Falls, wetland-mediated IPR for lake augmentation by TRWD and NTMWD, several additional IPR projects, power plant cooling water supplies, and many miles of reclaimed water pipelines for irrigation and amenity features all across the state. More recently, Austin Water started up their onsite reuse facility at their Development Center, and El Paso is poised to break ground on their direct-to-distribution Water Purification Facility. I believe the time is ripe for additional projects to break out of the long-term planning process and into active development.

As an organization, we are expanding our reach and capacity. Two years ago, we hired Noelle George as our Managing Director for the Texas Section. During much of 2022, we were asked to share her time with the National WRA office due to a staff shortage there. Last year, she returned full attention to Texas and increased her hours, and we have seen great dividends as she has grown into this role. Last year we also started a new Policy Committee and have increased our attention and visibility to the regulatory and legislative arenas. We seek to do much more as we continue to build out our committees and gain more traction in this space. If you or your colleagues are seeking a place to plug into the world of water reuse, we’d love to put you to work in an area of interest.

It was great to see so many of you in Frisco last September for our first in-person conference in several years, and I hope to see even more this fall when we meet again in Austin! Be on the lookout for more information, including a call for papers, sponsorships, and registration over the next few months.

See you soon,

David Sloan
President, WateReuse Texas

Are you considering water reuse for your community? Are you an operator who is interested in water reuse? Here’s your chance to ask questions directly to licensed operators from El Paso Water, City of Wichita Falls, Fort Worth Water, and City of McAllen Public Works. Each operator will briefly outline how their system works and what type of reuse they do, and then we will open the floor for audience questions. 

What is expected of operators during reuse operations? How can they get ready to implement reuse? Depending on the source water and the end use of the reclaimed water, what changes should operators expect? How does operator mindset need to change with different types of reuse: IPR versus DPR, and direct to distribution DPR? Join us for answers to these questions and more.

This webcast is free for WateReuse Texas members and only $55 for nonmembers. 

The Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is in the process of implementing regulations mandated by Senate Bill 1289 for blackwater recycling and reuse. In the meantime, they are issuing conditional permits for onsite systems.

To attempt to reduce earthquakes in West Texas, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) suspended multiple permits allowing injection of produced water into underground wells.Visit the RRC website for more details about the suspensions. 

In January, the Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) released a framework for a pilot program on produced water recycling. Operators can apply for authorization for a pilot study based on conditions within the framework. For more information, visit the RRC website. 

Please help us welcome Texas Water Trade, Smith and Loveless, Inc., and Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance as new members of WateReuse Texas. 

We look forward to working with you to advance reuse in Texas!

Our Outreach Committee worked hard to put together the WateReuse Texas Profile In Reuse, with simple facts, figures, and multiple Texas case studies. This resource can be shared with everyone from policymakers to students to help them understand more about reuse in Texas. 

Follow WRTX on Facebook or LinkedIn, and we’ll follow you back. We’ll be sharing news from our member organizations as well as the latest news in water reuse.