News: Water Stress Risk in 2023, WOTUS Definition, BOR Planning Grants
News from the Leading Advocate for Water Reuse
News from the Leading Advocate for Water Reuse
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Alex Fairhart Symposium Testemonial

Jan 9, 2023
Water Stress
Water Stress is a Top Global Risk for 2023

Kicking off the new year, the Eurasia Group published a Top 10 Global Risks for 2023, including water stress amongst other key threats to international stability. Time Magazine also covered Eurasia Group’s report, bringing attention to the looming risk of water crisis. "Water policy requires a transition from crisis to risk management. That shift will not materialize in 2023, leaving investors, insurers, and private companies to figure out how to handle this challenge on their own." 
 
Communities and businesses that are integrating water reuse in their water management portfolio are positioning themselves to manage water stress most effectively. The WateReuse Association is dedicated to helping utilities diversify their water supply portfolios to prepare for the inevitable threats to come. If you're concerned about the state of water supply in the US and globally, join us at the 2023 WateReuse Symposium in Atlanta, GA, March 5-8 to explore how water reuse can help ensure sustainable and resilient water supplies and mitigate global risk. 
WateReuse Symposium: Register to Hear from States on Water Reuse Progress
 

The Water Reuse State Regulatory Summit is coming to the 2023 WateReuse Symposium in Atlanta! State regulatory officials from across the county will convene to discuss essential water reuse topics from potable reuse to long-term program planning and workforce. Symposium attendees will hear a report-out from the Summit’s proceedings during the Symposium’s plenary session on Wednesday, March 8. Register today for this unique opportunity to hear from state officials as they chart paths for water reuse across the country. This is the third state officials gathering held in conjunction with the WateReuse Symposium, an essential partnership that is helping to facilitate more adoption of water reuse practices by communities and businesses across the country.

Symposium on Demand

There’s more than one way to join the 2023 WateReuse Symposium! For just $200, registrants for the in-person Symposium can add on-demand access to recordings of all Symposium plenaries and technical sessions. The sessions will be accessible on a special Symposium Portal following the in-person event. A recordings-only registration option is also available if you are unable to join us in person.  
Register Today
Industrial Champion
One Week Left to Nominate a Company Leading in Water Recycling

Submit an award nomination for the inaugural Industrial Water Reuse Champion Award by Monday, January 16! The WateReuse Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Veolia, and University of Pennsylvania Water Center will recognize a top fortune 1000 company incorporating best-in-class water recycling and reuse programs to improve water stewardship and achieve their water management goals. The award will be presented at the 2023 WateReuse Symposium.

Nominate a Water Reuse Champion
Washington Updates
Congress Finalizes Appropriations for FY 2023, Including Funding for Water Reuse
 

On December 29, President Biden signed into law the FY 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which provides discretionary spending for water recycling programs for the remainder of FY 2023. The funding comes on top of funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.

Read WateReuse Association’s analysis of the final package, including both the highlights and the lowlights. These include: continued investment in Western water reuse through Title XVI and the Desalination & Water Purification Program; no funding for the Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Grants; increased investment in aquifer recharge; and earmarks in the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Programs.
 
Read the Analysis
WOTUS Definition Fails to Include Exemptions for Water Recycling and Stormwater Features
 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) released the pre-publication version of the final rule defining Waters of the United States (WOTUS) at the end of 2022. The U.S. EPA stated that the final rule restores essential water protections in place prior to 2015 under the Clean Water Act for traditional navigable waters, the territorial seas, interstate waters, as well as upstream water resources that significantly affect those waters.

Following the proposed definition in January 2022, WateReuse provided comments urging the U.S. EPA and Army Corps to reincorporate an exclusion for water recycling and reuse facilities and infrastructure, such as percolation, detention, retention, storage and recharge basins, and conveyance features into the definition of Waters of the United States, as was adopted in the 2019 rulemaking. WateReuse further urged the agencies to reincorporate an exclusion for stormwater control features constructed to convey, treat, or store stormwater. Neither the exclusion was incorporated into the final rule. Once the final rule goes into effect, WateReuse will monitor its implementation to ensure that water reuse facilities are not adversely impacted.
 
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Bureau of Reclamation Releases Funding Opportunity for Water Reuse and Desalination Programs
 

The Bureau of Reclamation released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for planning and pre-construction activities to facilitate the development of Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse projects, Desalination Construction projects, and Large-Scale Water Recycling projects. Applications for funding close on February 28, 2023. The Bureau is holding an informational webinar on January 11 at 10 am MST to discuss eligibilities. The webinar can be viewed here.

This is the first time in recent years that the Bureau of Reclamation has made funding available for planning activities, and WateReuse stands ready to support our members in applying for funds. Please reach out with any questions to Greg Fogel. 
 
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Study Managed Aquifer Recharge

At the end of December President Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act including the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA). The 2022 WRDA directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a study on the expansion of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) in current and future Army Corps projects in regions that have experience prolonged drought, aquifer depletion, or water scarcity issues. Through the provision, the Army Corps is authorized to consult with nonfederal partners to conduct a national assessment on the implementation of MAR, create working groups within the agency to centralize knowledge of MAR, and authorize up to 10 MAR feasibility studies. The Army Corps will report to Congress on the results and data collected from the study. This is the first time that WRDA has included a provision for studying MAR.

BOR Selects Five WateReuse Association Members for Desalination and Water Purification Research Projects

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded $1.69 million to nine research projects to test innovative and new treatment technologies through the Desalination and Water Purification Research Program. The nine projects across California, Colorado, Nevada, New York, and North Carolina feature five WateReuse members. Projects include:
State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Members!

DRP Engineering, Inc. joins the WateReuse Association and the California section as a civil engineering consulting firm that offers forward thinking solutions to water, wastewater, and recycled water projects. DRP is a local small and emerging business enterprise (SBE and MBE) that provides civil and environmental engineering design services throughout Southern California.
CA: Pure Water Project Diversifies Drinking Water Supply

ABC7 highlighted next steps for Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and Triunfo Water & Sanitation District’s Pure Water Project. The full scale water treatment system anticipated to be completed in five years and produce 20% of the district’s water supply. The project is being built in Agoura Hills, where reservoirs will store the clean water after it has been processed. Mike NcNutt, the public affairs officer for Las Virgenes, explained that the cleaned water will be treated again before it reaches customers: "When it’s time to be put into the distribution system, it'll be put through our Westlake filtration plant for a seventh treatment.” The project cost will be just over $300 million, and will provide a reliable and local supply of water. Read more.

UT: $15 Million Allocated to Water Reuse Projects

The state of Utah has allocated a total of $15 million to water reuse projects in Southern Utah. The Southern Utah Reuse ARPA Grant Program has awarded the funding to 12 municipalities, conservancies, and service districts. The state is prioritizing projects that mitigate the impacts of drought in rural communities and in the agricultural sector. Utah lawmakers created the grant program last year with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Read more.

International Update
Collaborative Water Recycling Initiative to Combat Water Shortage in India
 

Gurugram, a city in northern India, is moving forward with plans for an ambitious water reuse project with neighboring districts. India, which is set to become the most populous country on the planet, is seeking new ways to extend its water supplies. The project in Gurugram will recycle water from two urban sewage treatment plants to irrigate over 51,000 acres of rural land. Roughly 30 villages are expected to benefit, directly or indirectly. The plan aims to save fresh canal water – from being pumped for irrigation purposes – and allows it to be supplied to more distant villages. Read more.

WateReuse Member Resources and Benefits
The WateReuse Association: Who We Are

WateReuse Association has published a new institutional one-pager. Titled “the WateReuse Association – Engage, Educate, Advocate,” this piece is easy to email or print and distribute to support conversations about what we do as an association representing entities engaged in water recycling. The front page summarizes the WateReuse Association’s members and programs, and the back gives a brief introduction to water recycling and its benefits.

View the One-Pager
WateReuse Conferences, Webcasts, and Events
U.S. EPA Webcast: US lessons from Israel's Water Reuse Approach

January 18, 2023
11 am PT | 2 pm ET | (1 hour)
Free

Israeli hosts and members from the recent U.S. delegation to Israel will share their experiences with water reuse and key takeaways. Webcast attendees will learn about the innovative approaches Israel is taking to ensure adequate and resilient water supplies in their country and how these lessons may be applied by others in their own communities.
Register here
2023 WateReuse Symposium:
Reimagining Water Together

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

Become a Sponsor or Exhibitor today! Read the prospectus and contact abray@watereuse.org.

The Annual WateReuse Symposium is the premier conference on water recycling — attracting water professionals and water reuse practitioners 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.

WateReuse is pleased to bring the Symposium to Georgia and the Southeast, a region that is quickly emerging as a water recycling hotspot. Pick from three Atlanta-region tours of cutting-edge reuse projects. Six technical session tracks will highlight how utilities and businesses large and small can benefit from water recycling. Themes for the 2023 WateReuse Symposium include small and underrepresented communities, implications of PFAS in reuse, industrial and commercial reuse, telling the reuse story, and more!
Register Today
 

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