June 24, 2024

Industrial operations such as energy production, food & beverage, semiconductor manufacturing, and the auto industry are major water users in the United States. WateReuse is committed to creating opportunities for industrial water users to recycle water in lieu of other freshwater sources. Among our top policy priorities for 2024 and 2025 is the enactment of a federal investment tax credit (ITC) to support greater industrial water recycling. In recent weeks, WateReuse has taken to Capitol Hill, meeting with members of the Senate Finance Committee to build support for this important policy proposal. In addition to meeting with Democratic and Republican Finance Committee staff, WateReuse met with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Todd Young (R-IN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tim Scott (R-SC), Marcia Blackburn (R-TN), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Our goal is to introduce bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate by year’s end, and to secure an ITC as part of larger tax legislation in 2025. For more information and to get involved in this effort, reach out to WateReuse Policy Director Greg Fogel at gfogel@watereuse.org.

In the fall of 2023, WateReuse submitted comments to the General Services Association (GSA) on its P100 Manual, which sets mandatory design standards and performance criteria for all federal facilities. Earlier this month, GSA released its final draft of the P100 Manual for 2024 through 2027 and included a number of revisions suggested by WateReuse. GSA updated its Sustainable Performance Table to include more recycled water requirements. This change requires that 15% of water be reused or infiltrated onsite. In several sections throughout the document, GSA requires planners to include water reuse in an overall assessment of water use onsite. The updates will help set the tone for how federal buildings are designed, constructed, and maintained with water management in mind and will encourage further adoption of water recycling. The GSA P100 manual is updated every three years. We thank the WateReuse Onsite and Distributed Water Recycling Systems Committee as well as the Legislative and Regulatory Policy Committee for helping to develop compelling recommendations.

Last week, WateReuse submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the Office of Water’s Draft National Program Guidance for 2025 and 2026. This Guidance outlines the Office of Water’s Priorities for the upcoming two years. In our comments, we recommend that EPA highlight water reuse as a fundamental tool to achieving resiliency, integrate water recycling across programs and activities, continue support for the National Water Reuse Action Plan, and consider the wide range of ways that water recycling can help advance EPA goals. We also recommend adding water supply sustainability alongside water quality and ecosystem health in EPA’s discussion of its climate adaptation plan. Lastly, our comments urge EPA to take a polluter-pays approach as it develops and implements regulations to control and remediate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS).

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is kicking off a summer of “Better Buildings” webinars with the topic of water reuse. Tomorrow, June 25 at Noon Eastern Time, DOE’s webcast will spotlight water reuse technologies that offer sustainable solutions for buildings without compromising on quality.

CBS News Eye on America produced a report on the future of potable reuse. The report begins with Gilbert, Arizona’s Desert Monk Brewing, which uses purified recycled water from WateReuse member Scottsdale Water. Then, CBS News interviews astronaut Steven Bowen about drinking recycled water on the International Space Station.

Deadline: Sunday, June 30

WateReuse Pacific Northwest is excited to solicit your nominations for the 2024 WateReuse Pacific Northwest Award for Excellence! This award will recognize a utility or local government entity in the Pacific Northwest that provides a safe, reliable, locally controlled water supply through the development of water recycling treatment facilities, infrastructure and/or other water reuse projects. The award will be given at the 2024 PNCWA Conference in Boise, ID.

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