WateReuse California Review - June 2023

WateReuse California is leading a twenty-two agency (and growing) coalition that is seeking $1.8 billion within a climate bond anticipated for the March 2024, or November 2024 ballot. The total amount of the final climate bond is currently unknown. Three bonds are expected to be on 2024 ballot(s) that together are rumored to be capped by the Department of Finance at $25 billion – a climate bond, a housing/homeless bond, and a school bond. Statewide support is needed for this legislative request. If your agency has not yet joined the WRCA coalition and wants to please, contact Jennifer West at jwest@watereuse.org.

Last week WRCA and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies jointly requested that the State Water Board delay the July adoption of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Intended Use Plan (IUP). This request came after learning that the Water Board intended to retroactively reduce 23-24 CWSRF loans on the IUP’s Fundable List, which had previously been approved in Fiscal Year 22/23 and then rolled over to Fiscal Year 23-24. WRCA and CASA stated in their joint letter that by retroactively cutting Water Board approved Fundable List projects, the Board would be creating an untenable precedent that would substantially erode the certainty and predictability of the entire program.

On June 26, the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water (DDW) released the updated “Guidelines for the Preparation of an Engineering Report for the Production, Distribution and Use of Recycled Water” – this replaces the March 2001 version which was the most recent update.

The updated guidelines can be found here.

The State of California Water Recycling Criteria (Title 22 Section 60323) requires an engineering report, approved by the State Water Resources Control Board –Division of Drinking Water, for all recycled water projects. These reports are necessary to allow for the required regulatory review and approval of a recycled water project; they must meet all the requirements set forth in the California Water Recycling Criteria (Title 22). The intent of these guidelines is to provide guidance and a framework to assist in developing a comprehensive engineering report which addresses all necessary elements of a proposed or modified project.

The report should be submitted to the applicable California Regional Water Quality Control Board and DDW before recycled water projects are implemented. These guidelines are for nonpotable and indirect potable reuses only.

For questions or additional information, please contact WateReuse California’s Manager of Regulatory Affairs Rosario Cortés at rcortes@watereuse.org.

On July 25, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will hold a workshop to gather comments on the draft Recycled Water Resource Management Strategies (RMS) that are a component of the California Water Plan (plan).  WRCA will attend the workshop and provide comments, which are due August 1. 

Additionally, on July 11, the DWR Water Plan Team will hold a workshop to gather comments on the draft Agriculture Water Use Efficiency RMS. 

Both will be online-only workshops, please register to attend by clicking the dates above. 

RMS resource management strategies help local agencies and governments manage their water and related resources.  Every RMS can be a technique, program, or policy that can be used to meet water-related management needs of a region and the state as a whole. 

The plan serves as the State’s strategic plan for sustainably and equitably managing and developing water resources for current and future generations.  Update 2023 will include updated resource management strategies, regional planning and performance tracking tools, water balances, future scenarios, and other technical and policy-related activities related to water resilience and sustainability.

In July 2020, The Water Resilience Portfolio (WRP) was released – it represents the Newsom Administration’s blueprint for California water management to cope with more extreme droughts and floods, rising temperatures, over-reliance on groundwater, and other challenges. The WRP is a cornerstone of Update 2023. 

For questions or additional information, please contact WateReuse California’s Manager of Regulatory Affairs Rosario Cortés at rcortes@watereuse.org.

Sponsorships and playing slots are now available for a golf tournament (Nov.5) to benefit the Dr. Bahman Sheikh Memorial Scholarship—as part of the WRCA annual conference. This scholarship supports undergraduate student(s) pursuing a degree at UC Davis focused on developing and implementing sustainable solutions for water resources management, including water recycling, that supports agriculture, industry, and healthy communities. View the event flyer for more information.

Deadline: August 15, 2023
Each year, WateReuse California recognizes agencies, customers, and individuals that have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing water recycling in California. The awards will be presented at the 2023 WateReuse California Conference in Indian Wells. We invite you to nominate leaders advancing the practice of water reuse in California!

Deadline: July 28, 2023
Submit your abstract today and present your project, research, or findings to an audience of California’s leading water reuse practitioners! WateReuse California encourages submissions from presenters which include a diversity of voices including water and wastewater utility representation, especially from small utilities, young professionals, and graduate students. If not a California-based topic, abstracts should include detail about how the topic relates to California reuse. Please review the call for abstracts before submitting.