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January 6, 2025

Water Reuse Leadership: Sessions Featured at the 2025 WateReuse Symposium

The 2025 WateReuse Symposium is honored to welcome elected officials and senior management representing utilities, cities, and water districts, March 16-19 in Tampa, Florida. Join us for a special session track, sponsored by AECOM, designed to assist local leaders considering water recycling at various levels; from landscape irrigation to purifying wastewater to drinking water standards. The day will also include an invitation-only roundtable discussion followed by a leadership reception. These sessions are designed to expand your horizons, introduce you to other recycled water leaders, and stimulate insightful ideas to best serve your community.

Learn More and Register
Registration is Open for the 2025 National Water Policy Fly-In!

Join us for the premier event of Water Week 2025 – the National Water Policy Fly-In, April 8-9 in Washington, DC! This event provides attendees with an opportunity to hear from federal and state representatives on the political landscape for the water sector, as well as an opportunity to engage directly with your congressional delegations on relevant water issues. The program includes senior EPA officials, members of Congress and other key government leaders.

The deadline to make hotel reservations at the discounted price is Friday, March 14, while rooms are available. Make your plans to join us!

This event is co-hosted by the WateReuse Association, American Water Works Association, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, The Water Research Foundation, and Water Environment Federation.

Register Today
Washington Update
EPA Publishes Wastewater Sector Report on Permitting

As part of the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) Action 2.19: Advance Strategies for Permitting Innovative Wastewater Management Practices and Water Reuse, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a Framework for Permitting Innovation in the Wastewater Sector. This document was a collaboration across the EPA, University of California Berkeley, Stanford University, Water Innovation Services, and Eastern Research Group. The framework highlights five important elements of fostering an enabling environment for innovation in the wastewater sector: clarity, capacity building, continuity, trust, and bounded flexibility. These five characteristics were identified by workshop attendees in 2023, including WateReuse representatives, who supported the drafting of this report. The workshop emphasized examples that demonstrated the interconnectedness of these characteristics. This framework and the examples included in the report provide the building blocks for creative, collaborative advancements in permitting for the wastewater sector.

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EPA Releases Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 16

Last month, EPA released the Preliminary Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 16 (Preliminary Plan 16) as part of standard practice under the Clean Water Act. This plan to review, update, and revise effluent standards is updated on a biennial basis, with this most recent round announcing the intention to conduct several studies, along with a new information collection system. These new studies will cover battery manufacturing, centralized waste treatment, oil and gas extraction, and industries that process consumer products with PFAS chemicals. The new study on PFAS will be complimentary to updates that the Preliminary Plan 16 provides on nutrient discharges and several industrial categories that already address PFAS. The intended information collection system that is outlined in the Preliminary Plan 16 will allow EPA to better collect data on operations, wastewater generation, treatment, water management, and impacts. This plan is open for review and comment until January 17. WateReuse will continue to track updates to effluent limitation guidelines and related plans as they impact the operations of our members and their stakeholders.  

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EPA Adds Nine PFAS to the Toxics Release Inventory

On January 3, EPA added nine new PFAS to its Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). This data is reported to EPA on an annual basis and is meant to inform the government and communities of the chemicals that are produced and used throughout processing in the industrial sector. Understanding the various toxic chemicals that may make their way into wastewater is important in developing appropriate water reuse treatment and monitoring. With the addition of these nine PFAS, the total number of PFAS now required to be reported on by industry comes to 205. The next set of TRI forms are due in July of 2026. WateReuse will continue to track all developments related to PFAS.

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State Updates and Member Profiles
CA: State Board Plans Onsite Rulemaking in 2025

The California State Water Resources Control Board plans to start the Regulations for Onsite Treatment and Reuse of Nonpotable Water rulemaking process in February 2025. California Water Code section 13558 requires the State Board to adopt regulations for risk-based water quality standards for onsite treatment and reuse with non-potable end uses in multifamily residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings. State Board staff will provide a brief presentation to the WateReuse California Legislative-Regulatory Committee in January. For more information, please email Rosario Cortés, WateReuse California Manager of Regulatory Affairs at RCortes@watereuse.org.

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CA: San Francisco Releases Report on Reuse for Single-Family Homes

WateReuse member San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) released a report in December on applications for onsite water reuse in single-family homes. SFPUC already administers a robust program for onsite reuse at large multi-family and commercial buildings. The utility established an independent advisory panel to assess the opportunities for expanding onsite reuse at the single-family scale. The assessment focused on public health considerations, treatment needs, and best management practices. Join their webinar at 11 am ET/ 8 am PT on January 16 to learn more.

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FL: New Potable Reuse Rules Approved

In December, the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission (ERC) unanimously approved new potable reuse rules developed by Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). This comprehensive set of water quality-based rules is the result of several years of collaborative work and technical input from WateReuse Florida members and is predicated heavily on the potable reuse implementation report produced by Florida’s Potable Reuse Commission, which was formed in 2018 and chaired by then WateReuse Florida president Lynn Spivey.

FDEP determined that legislative ratification was not necessary, so the rules were reviewed during a December 13 hearing of the ERC. Several WateReuse Florida members traveled to Tallahassee to testify during the hearing (pictured), and the ERC voted unanimously in support of FDEP’s potable reuse rules. Previously, Florida only had rules governing indirect potable reuse, which was narrowly defined as the planned discharge of reclaimed water to surface waters to augment supplies available for drinking and other uses. The new expansive rules provide a legal framework for the implementation of both direct and indirect potable reuse within the state, and they now also include planned deliveries or discharges to both ground and surface waters intended to be utilized as potable sources. FDEP has reiterated that the potable reuse rule changes should not affect Florida utilities that are not implementing either a direct or indirect potable reuse project.

Partner Updates
Jon Freedman Elected President of IDRA

In December 2024, WateReuse Association board member Jon Freedman was elected president of the International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA). Freedman is the global head of policy and stakeholder engagement for water quality at Veralto. He also currently serves WateReuse as board secretary and chair of the Legislative and Regulatory Policy Committee. Freedman’s joint service will support new and ongoing collaborations between IDRA and WateReuse. In 2024, our two associations co-presented a two-part Global Dialogue on Water Reuse at the 2024 WateReuse Symposium and 2024 IDRA World Congress. In 2025, we will publish a white paper on Dialogue findings including drivers, barriers, and successes in advancing water reuse around the world. WateReuse and IDRA also continue to collaborate on the Global Industrial Water Reuse Champion Award. In 2024, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft won the award for best-in-class corporate water recycling programs.

Micro-Nano Plastics in Water: Davos Conference Seeks Abstracts

In July 2025, Engineering Conferences International will host a conference on Micro-Nano Plastics in Water: Characterization, Cure, and Prevention in Davos, Switzerland. Oral abstract submissions are due January 15 and poster abstract submissions are due January 31.

Learn More and Submit
WateReuse Events Calendar
Webcast: 2025 Water Reuse Policy Outlook

January 16, 2025
2 pm ET | 11 am PT

Join us to hear from Washington insiders about the implications of the 2024 elections and the legislative and regulatory landscape heading into 2025. Top Washington lobbyists will discuss what a second-term Trump Administration and unified control of the Federal Government means for key water reuse-related policies and programs. Whether you plan to participate in the 2025 Water Week Policy Fly-In or are interested in learning more about policy making under single-party control, this webcast will help get you up to speed.

Register Here
2025 WateReuse Nevada Symposium

January 27-28, 2025 | Reno, Nevada

Join WateReuse Nevada for the annual Nevada Symposium, taking place in Northern Nevada. Learn about state-of-the-art water reuse efforts in Nevada for both non-potable and potable reuse, and pathways for future potable reuse in the state. Hear a keynote presentation from Melanie Mow Schumacher of Soquel Creek Water District (CA), and get local project updates from Southern Nevada Water Authority, University of Nevada, Reno, and a panel discussion on “Pathways to Potable Reuse.”

Register Here
2025 WateReuse Symposium

March 16-19, 2025 | Tampa, Florida

The Annual WateReuse Symposium is the premier conference on water recycling — attracting water professionals and water reuse practitioners globally for knowledge-sharing, networking, and collaboration. This year's theme, Turning the Tide Toward Water Reuse, explores the latest trends, regional challenges, and forward-thinking ideas that are driving growth in water recycling. 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of the WateReuse Symposium!

Register Here
Water Week 2025

April 5-12, 2025

Water Week is a week of federal advocacy for water and wastewater infrastructure.

National Water Policy Fly-In | April 8-9, 2025
The American Water Works Association (AWWA), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), The Water Research Foundation (WRF), Water Environment Federation (WEF), and WateReuse Association are proud to present the cornerstone event for Water Week 2025 – the National Water Policy Fly-In.

Register Here
2025 WateReuse Colorado Conference

May 5, 2025 | Denver, CO
Colorado State University SPUR Campus

Implementing Reuse: Opportunities, Challenges, and Innovation: Join us to discuss ongoing and emerging reuse topics at the 2025 WateReuse Colorado Conference! This year’s theme is “implementing reuse” which will focus on reuse opportunities, challenges, and innovation in Colorado and across the country. Water reuse professionals will unite to share their latest research, innovation, and experiences. WRCO is pleased to conduct this event at the beautiful Denver CSU SPUR campus. So be sure to mark your calendar! This conference presents a great opportunity to network, learn, and engage in discussion with local water reuse experts, while enjoying the beautiful SPUR campus.

Register Here
Save the Date: 2025 WateReuse California Annual Conference

September 7-9, 2025 | San Diego, CA

Save the date for the premier water recycling conference in California. Hear from a wide range of expert speakers and tour local San Diego-area water reuse projects.

Save the Date: 2025 WateReuse Texas Annual Conference

September 16-19, 2025 | Houston, TX

Come together to learn about water reuse in Texas including major advances in direct potable reuse, produced water, and much more.

Contact us at info@watereuse.org

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