June 20, 2023

The Call for Presentations is now live for the 2024 WateReuse Symposium. Transform your ideas, best practices, and research into a presentation for the world’s premier water recycling event. Presentation opportunities include 60 minute panels, 30 minute presentations, and poster presentations, and are meant to spark imagination, encourage dialogue, and drive new solutions for greater adoption of water recycling. Demonstrate your thought leadership and build your professional network with a place on the podium at the 2024 WateReuse Symposium, March 10-13 in Denver, Colorado. The deadline for submission is September 14, 2023.

Last week, the House Appropriations Committee adopted FY 2024 discretionary spending caps for its 12 subcommittees, including those that fund important water recycling programs each year. In addition to adopting the spending caps, known as 302(b) suballocations, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee passed its FY 2024 appropriations bill along party lines.

Under the 302(b) allocations adopted by the House Majority, spending for the Interior-Environment Appropriations bill will be cut by at least 37 percent relative to FY 2023. Until the Appropriations Committee releases the text of the bill, however, we will not know what portion of the cuts target the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nor which specific programs receive funding reductions. Given the size of the cut to the bill, we anticipate that key EPA water programs will face significant cuts in the House.

Shortly after adopting the 302(b) allocations, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee passed its FY 2024 appropriations bill, which includes funding for the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). The bill provides roughly $1.7 billion for BOR’s Water and Related Resources Account, a six percent cut relative to FY 2023. This includes the Title XVI Water Reuse Grants Program as well as the Desalination and Water Purification Grants Program. Until the bill’s accompanying report is released, however, we will not know exact funding levels for these programs.

WateReuse is working closely with Senate appropriators to ensure that water recycling programs are protected and enhanced in the Senate appropriations bills. We will report on major developments in the coming days and weeks.

Water reuse has been used for agriculture in California for over 100 years, and is gaining traction across the United States and beyond. Ambrook Research highlighted WateReuse member Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency , where a water reuse partnership with City of Watsonville, CA nurtures an annual agricultural value topping $1 billion. In the story, WateReuse Executive Director Patricia Sinicropi also offered an analysis of the drivers for agricultural reuse in wetter regions, saying: "we're seeing groundwater depletion issues creep up along the East Coast, which will eventually challenge farmers on their water needs." To hear from the experts on agricultural reuse, join our webcast: Innovations in Agricultural Water Reuse: Successes, Challenges, and Funding Opportunities , this Thursday, June 22, at 1pm PT/4pm ET.