September 11, 2023

Hilton Denver City Center, Denver, CO
Monday, March 11 – Thursday, March 14, 2024

• Submit your presentation proposal by this Thursday, September 14.

• Register for the members-only Super Saver rate starting Wednesday, September 20.

• Check out the Schedule at a Glance to learn more about the 2024 WateReuse Symposium.

• Become a Sponsor or Exhibit to ensure high visibility among attendees!

Last Thursday, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) announced the launch of the Large-Scale Water Recycling Projects Competitive Grants Program, which WateReuse helped create in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). Through the program, BOR will provide $450 million over five years to help communities develop large-scale water recycling projects and achieve sustainable water supplies. To qualify, applicants must be located in a Reclamation state, and the total cost of the proposed project must be at least $500 million. To allow time for entities to complete feasibility studies and achieve BOR approval prior to applying for funding, BOR has provided a rolling application period with multiple batching dates, the first of which is November 21, 2023 and the last of which is September 30, 2024.

Read the WateReuse Association press release here and the Bureau of Reclamation release here.

On September 5, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water announced the availability of $19 million for the Drinking Water System Infrastructure and Sustainability Grants Program. In recent years, WateReuse has advocated for funding for the program through the annual appropriations process. The funding announcement outlines two National Priority Areas—Small-Scale Investments to Help Drinking Water Systems Implement Resilience Measures, and Large-Scale Infrastructure Improvements to Enhance Drinking Water System Resilience. Applicants must choose one when applying for the program. Eligible applicants include public water systems, water systems governed by tribes, a state applying on behalf of an underserved community, and underserved communities with a population of less than 10,000. Activities that are eligible under this program include conservation or enhancement of water use efficiency (including water reuse), relocation of water infrastructure in areas where there is risk to its integrity, desalination, water management, energy efficiency, and other improvements to support water system resilience. EPA will award ten to twenty small-scale projects between $285,000 - $570,000, and two to five large-scale projects between $2,660,000 - $6,650,000. The RFA will be open until December 6, 2023.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delivered the 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment to Congress. This assessment is mandated under the Safe Drinking Water Act and is used to determine the nation’s water infrastructure needs for the next two decades. It also informs funding allocations, including funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that is provided through Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program. The results from this most recent survey, which collected and compiled data from 2021, suggest that drinking water systems throughout the U.S. will need $625 billion to ensure public health, security, and safety in the coming years. These funds may be used for lead service line replacement, storage needs, and transmission and distribution systems, including water reuse projects that generate drinking water.

Last week, The LA Progressive published an in-depth exploration of the benefits of Direct Potable Reuse, noting significant projects and regulations in California and beyond. The article quotes and references many WateReuse Association members: San Diego County Water Authority, City of San Diego, Wichita Falls, El Paso Water, City of Phoenix, Trussell Technologies, and Carollo Engineers. The article reflects on a 2011 finding from San Diego County Water Authority that citizens are 50 percent more likely to accept recycled water when they learn that other communities have already implemented it.

The Chino Basin Program, a program led by WateReuse member Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) and partners, has reached a significant milestone as Brown and Caldwell and Water Systems Consulting have completed the preliminary design of a new Advanced Water Purification Facility, which will provide 13.4 million gallons of purified water per day for aquifer recharge.

On Thursday, September 7, WateReuse Florida threw a special recycled water beer tasting event in partnership with Florida Section of American Water Works Association, (FSAWWA), Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA), Florida Water & Pollution Control Operators Association (FWPCOA), and the City of Plant City. Hoppy Hour: The Brew-tiful Future of Florida’s Water was a resounding success, welcoming approximately 150 revelers including utility operators and managers, municipal government leadership, state regulators, consulting firms, manufacturers, and legislators. The event took place at Keel Farms, who also brewed the limited-edition beer for the occasion: a light, tasty pale ale that highlights the purity of Plant City’s water from their potable reuse pilot project. The event was designed to continue public outreach and education about recycled water as an alternative water supply.