The House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, which authorizes water resource projects in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps). In the coming weeks, the Senate is expected to pass its own version of WRDA. The House version includes a directive to the Army Corps to form a working group and study managed aquifer recharge, including for water recycling purposes. The study will explore the feasibility of recharging aquifers to address drought, water resiliency, and groundwater depletion, in collaboration with federal agencies, states, regional governmental agencies, and technical experts. Once the provision is enacted, WateReuse will track the effort and report on opportunities for stakeholder engagement. The Senate is expected to take up consideration of its WRDA package in the coming weeks. WateReuse will continue to track and report on legislative developments on this year’s WRDA package as they occur. 

Parsons joins the WateReuse Association as an expert in program and construction management and engineering. With a mission to help preserve water by creating and maintaining safe, efficient, and sustainable water facilities and processes, Parsons has transformed the industry through some of the most complex water and wastewater projects in the world.

Water recycling is helping to offset water demands for fighting the Calf Canyon Hermits Peak fire near the small Village of Pecos. "We were pulling about 13,000 gallons of water out of their municipal system," says Shawn Foster, a logistics section chief for the joint fire response team. Modular onsite recycling systems are now being used to recycle grey water at the temporary base camp, offsetting the demands of the massive operation on the small village’s water supply. Read more.

Last week, City of Austin unveiled an innovative two-part water recycling project at the city’s Permitting and Development Center. The city will use these onsite systems to demonstrate sustainable water reuse for commercial buildings. The Onsite Collection and Reuse System, or “OSCAR,” will collect and filter up to 40,000 gallons of rainwater and air-conditioning condensate to reuse for outdoor landscaping. The Closed-loop Advanced Reclaimed Assembly, or “CLARA,” can collect up to 5,000 gallons per day of wastewater from the building’s sewers, treat it using advanced membrane technology, and then recycle the clean water to flush toilets and urinals. Read more.

Researchers at Montana Tech in Butte have proved that the yeast culture commonly found atop kombucha can function as a living filtration membrane to clean water. These membranes could prove to be cheap and adaptable alternatives to synthetic filters. Read more.

The deadline to submit a 2022 WateReuse California award nomination is extended to this Wednesday, June 15! Awards are given for Agency of the Year (Small, Medium, and Large), Outreach/Education Program, Advocate, Customer, and Staff Person.

The awards ceremony will take place at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero in San Francisco on September 12 during the 2022 Annual WateReuse California Conference.

Regulatory Analyst, WateReuse California
Applications due July 15, 2022

Water reuse is a principal solution to the challenges of water access, affordability, and resiliency. WateReuse Association’s policy brief on these interrelated solutions is a helpful tool to share with local decision makers and the public.

July 12, 2022
11 am PT | 2:00 pm ET | (1 hour)

Join us to learn how Tucson Water is using managed aquifer recharge practices to improve water supply and create natural riparian habitats in the desert for the community to enjoy. One project, the Santa Cruz River Heritage Project, has restored perennial stream flow to the river in downtown Tucson for the first time since the river dried up nearly 100 years ago.

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.

Eugene, OR
July 28, 2022

The professional summit with educational presentations will be followed by a social mixer and a facility tour on July 29.

August 24, 2022
11 am PT | 2:00 pm ET | (1 hour)

In this webcast, Arcadis and Tomorrow Water will discuss innovative concepts for reducing the water demands and space requirements of data centers, including the co-location of data centers with water reclamation facilities to allow exchanging water and cooling capacities. According to the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the nation’s data centers collectively consumed 165 billion gallons of water in 2014, a demand which will continue to grow unless the industry explores creative water solutions including the use of recycled water.

Hyatt Regency Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA
September 11-13, 2022

Register today and save big with Early Bird!

Joins us for an in-person program including a wealth of technical sessions, panel presentations, tours, and networking opportunities. Sessions will focus on new technology, changing regulations, funding, communications, regional collaboration, and more.  Participants can earn Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for attending.

Registrants can also join a special tour of the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center in San José! The largest advanced water purification plant in northern California, the facility began operation in 2014 to expand water reuse in Santa Clara County. In collaboration with project partners, Valley Water is exploring additional purified water supplies and opportunities to ensure a reliable, clean, and safe water supply for the future.

Marriott Marquis Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
March 5-8, 2023

Save the date for the 2023 WateReuse Symposium! 

The Annual WateReuse Symposium is the premier conference on water recycling — attracting more than 800 water professionals globally for knowledge-sharing, networking, and intriguing discussions! The event is planned in collaboration with The Water Research Foundation and will include engaging sessions on the latest reuse-related research projects.