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September 18, 2023

Webcast Spotlight

Design Build: Delivering Water Reuse Projects, Together

September 20, 2023
1 pm PT | 4 pm ET (1.5 hours)
Free to WateReuse members

This Wednesday, don't miss an enlightening conversation on the future of successful water reuse project delivery! The WateReuse Association is partnering with the Water Collaborative Delivery Association (WCDA) to provide a detailed overview of how the design-build delivery approach can benefit water reuse projects. In some cases, a design-build approach can provide reduced risk, a streamlined project delivery schedule, and cost certainty. This webcast will present the spectrum of collaborative delivery options, share case studies from utilities, and walk through the methodology for assessing if design-build makes sense for your project, including an overview of the procurement processes.

Washington Updates

WateReuse Developing Comments on Design Standards for Federally Owned Buildings

The WateReuse Association is developing comments on the General Services Administration’s P100 Manual, which sets design and performance standards for federally owned properties. In addition to detailing a long list of general design requirements, the P100 manual includes specific requirements related to sustainability and resilience, landscape design, water treatment, and plumbing. WateReuse will be highlighting opportunities to expand language related to both onsite water recycling as well as sourcing municipally produced recycled water. If you would like to provide insights and suggestions or help develop our comments on the manual, please contact Lydia Silber, Technical Content and Regulatory Policy Manager, at lsilber@watereuse.org.

Read the P100 Manual

Sponsor Spotlight

Advancing Water Quality Monitoring: How to Easily Integrate Bioanalytical Techniques for Comprehensive Insights

September 26, 2023
8 am PT | 11 am ET (1 hour)

Surface water and treated wastewater can contain a complex mixture of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, industrial compounds, and personal care products. This presents a challenge for traditional water quality evaluation methods, which rely on examining the concentration of selected chemicals and comparing them to known toxicologic effects. In this webinar, Dr. Jack Vanden Heuvel of Penn State University will explore a comprehensive approach to water quality assessment that incorporates both chemical analysis and cell-based bioassays, along with their receptor-specific effect-based trigger values, to protect human and ecological health. Join the webinar to discover how bioassays can enhance your routine water quality monitoring by offering insights that traditional chemical analysis alone cannot provide.

WateReuse Review featured content sponsored by Indigo Biosciences.

State Updates and Member News

Welcome New WateReuse Member!

The WateReuse Association and WateReuse Texas welcome ANDRITZ. ANDRITZ has provided innovative separation solutions for more than 150 years. Today, these solutions cover the entire wastewater and sludge treatment process, including screening, thickening, dewatering, and drying. More than 30 capital cities around the world depend on ANDRITZ solutions for reliable wastewater treatment. Its unique screen designs, continuous sand filtration technologies, belt presses, centrifuges, and separators can also be tailored and tested in its pilot labs to ensure the highest levels of water recycling for client processes.

ANDRITZ

CA: Mike Markus, Water Reuse Pioneer, Announces Retirement

Last week, Orange County Water District’s General Manager Michael (“Mike”) R. Markus announced plans to retire in January 2024, after a distinguished career in water resource management spanning 45 years. Markus has served at the helm of OCWD since 2007, leading the implementation of the Groundwater Replenishment System, the world’s largest Indirect Potable Reuse system. Markus is also a past president of WateReuse California and served on the national WateReuse board. “It has been an absolute privilege to lead an organization that is a global leader in its industry,” said Markus. “From groundwater management to water recycling and water quality, OCWD has driven innovation and set the gold standard for many projects and programs. This is a testament to the board and the dedicated staff who work to fulfill our mission to provide a safe, reliable water supply.”

CO: Denver-Area Water Reuse Leaders Show Off Their Facilities

WateReuse Executive Director Patricia Sinicropi toured WateReuse member Denver Metro Recovery's treatment facilities, meeting with General Manager Mickey Conway (pictured in photo). Sinicropi also toured facilities of WateReuse member Denver Water with WateReuse board members Maria Brady of Stantec and Tom Maher of Southern Nevada Water Authority.

PNW: Water Reuse Leaders Win Awards in Tacoma

WateReuse Pacific Northwest announced their inaugural water reuse awards at this year’s Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNCWA) conference in Tacoma, Washington. The awards were given out by WateReuse PNW President, Holly Tichenor. The award for 2023 Program of the Year went to LOTT Clean Water Alliance, recognizing the program’s regional leadership and dedication to advancing water reuse in a way that is safe, protective of public health, and restorative to the natural environment. Meanwhile, Tressa Nicholas, Wastewater Analyst for Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, received the first Lifetime Service Award. Nicholas has worked tirelessly to support water reuse permittees and operators, leading the Idaho reuse conference for many years, founding the Pacific Northwest Section of WateReuse, and coordinating an annual water reuse regulator summit across numerous states.

On the left: Wendy Steffenson, Environmental Project Manager, accepts award for LOTT lean Water Alliance. On the right: Tressa Nicholas accepts her Lifetime Service Award.

Research Update

Water Reuse Front-and-Center in $4.9 Million in Research Opportunities

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) announced 22 new research projects last week totaling $4.9M. Taking a One Water approach, these projects focus on efficient resource use and recovery, healthy communities and environment, resilient infrastructure, treatment optimization and intensification, utility operations and management, and more. Two projects in particular focus on water reuse: WRF 5250: Approaches to Build Strong Partnerships and Solidify Successful Interagency Reuse Projects, and WRF 5256: Regionalized or Integrated Solutions for Brine Management and Recovery. The deadline to apply for these projects is November 14, 2023. Entities eligible to apply for funding include, but are not limited to, academic institutions, research organizations, utilities, government agencies, and consulting firms.

Learn More

Industrial Update

Lithium Tech Developers Eye Ways to Boost Water Recycling

Reuters reports that lithium miners are racing to improve water reuse to unlock the potential of new lithium mining technologies. The surging global demand for lithium has sparked widespread interest in Direct Lithium Extraction technologies, which use less land and can operate far faster than traditional hard rock mining and brine evaporation ponds. Unfortunately, these new technologies can require 180 metric tons or more of water to produce a single metric ton of lithium, making it difficult to implement in arid regions. "If we cannot do a good job of recycling that water and reducing our water footprint, we're going to get crushed," John Burba, executive chairman of International Battery Metals told Reuters. "You end up having a small water treatment facility with your processing facility so they can reuse that water over and over and over again," said Chris Doornbos, CEO of E3 Lithium, which is backed by Exxon’s Imperial Oil.

WateReuse Member Resources and Benefits

New Engagement Opportunity: Water Reuse Research Committee

The WateReuse Association’s new Water Reuse Research Committee will convene its first meeting on Thursday, September 27 at 3:30 pm ET. Research can answer important questions that support the Association’s mission of empowering communities and businesses to embrace water recycling. This committee will help the Association identify high priority research needs and explore opportunities and partnerships to complete the research. The committee is open to all WateReuse members. To join, please complete our online committee participation form.

Join the Committee

WateReuse Awards for Excellence

Nominate a Leader by October 16!

From public utilities to consultants and researchers, the water reuse community is defined by leaders and innovators. Now is your chance to give them their due. Nominate yourself or another leader or initiative for a 2024 WateReuse Award for Excellence!

The Awards for Excellence recognize WateReuse members, their projects and their partnerships that have made significant contributions in support of greater adoption of water reuse. Awards will be announced during the 2024 WateReuse Symposium, March 11-14, 2024.

Submit your Nomination

WateReuse Events and Webcasts Calendar

Partner Webcast: Water Research Foundation - Impediments and Incentives for Agricultural Reuse

September 26, 2023
10 am PT | 1 pm ET (1 hour)

Agricultural water reuse has the potential to increase the resilience of water and agricultural systems through benefits such as irrigation enhancement, nutrient management, water supply diversification, and compliance with water quality permits. The most successful agricultural water reuse projects invariably address multiple objectives and deliver co-benefits to diverse stakeholders. This webcast will be based on WRF project 4956, Addressing Impediments and Incentives for agricultural reuse, and features a guidebook highlighting specific strategies for addressing barriers to agricultural water reuse.

Germany’s Approach to Water Reuse for Agricultural and Landscape Irrigation

October 10, 2023
8 am PT | 11 am ET | 5:00 pm CET (1.5 hours)
Free to WateReuse members

Despite Germany’s temperate climate and history of adequate water resources, the country is experiencing droughts and extreme weather trends as a result of climate change. Germany’s increasing interest in employing water reuse for agricultural and landscape irrigation can serve as a model for other temperate regions facing these trends. Join us to learn about reuse in Germany, including initiatives which have existed for decades, future outlooks for reuse in Germany, and the recent European Water Reuse Regulation (2020/741) which went into effect in June 2023. Our panel of research and utility experts will also present ongoing research related to non-potable reuse of municipal wastewater for agricultural and landscape irrigation.

Are We Ready for Next Generation Potable Reuse Projects?

December 14, 2023
10 am PT | 1 pm ET (1 hour)
Free to WateReuse members

This webcast will explore what the next generation of water and resource recovery facilities will look like, and the steps that we need to take to develop the future of potable reuse. Our panel of experts will lay out how and where we can incorporate technical innovations into potable reuse treatment facilities to make them more robust, resilient, and sustainable. The panelists will discuss reducing carbon footprint, recovering heat and material, contributing to the circular economy, and creating public and private partnership opportunities.