WateReuse Review: Happy Water Week

News from the Leading Advocate for Water Reuse

April 7, 2025

A graphic containing three bubble images of people participating in advocacy on Capitol Hill.

Happy Water Week!

It’s Water Week! Water professionals and advocates are gathering in Washington, DC and in our local communities to champion smart water policy and highlight critical issues facing the water sector.

The WateReuse Association is advocating for federal investment in municipal water recycling infrastructure and a new industrial reuse tax credit. Together, these policies will support long-term, reliable water supplies while driving sustainable economic growth.

Share your story about the value of water with the hashtag #WaterWeek2025 and see the resources linked below for advocacy resources, graphics, and social media posts to amplify your voice.

Explore Advocacy Resources

Washington Update

U.S. Senate Advances Budget Resolution, Setting Stage for Tax Debate

Late last week, the U.S. Senate voted 51-48 to advance a budget resolution that instructs the Senate Finance Committee to develop tax legislation with a total cost of $5.3 trillion. The House version of the budget resolution directs the creation of tax legislation with a cost of $4.5 trillion. In recent days, the Senate Budget Committee announced that it would use a budgeting mechanism that allows it to count $3.8 trillion worth of tax cuts as having no deficit impact. As a result, the enactment of $5.3 trillion worth of tax cuts will be ruled to have a cost of only $1.5 trillion. Many in the House of Representatives have objected to this scoring mechanism and to the fact that the Senate resolution requires only $4 billion in spending cuts, relative to the House resolution’s $2 trillion in spending cuts. President Trump has been urging House and Senate Republicans to unify around a single plan as soon as possible.

WateReuse has worked since early last year to secure a federal investment tax credit (ITC) to help scale up the use of recycled water by manufacturers, data centers, and other industrial entities. We continue to push for the ITC to be included in the upcoming reconciliation package. If your organization is interested in helping with this effort, please reach out to Greg Fogel, WateReuse Policy Director, at gfogel@watereuse.org.

Read the Senate Resolution

U.S. EPA Releases National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) Annual Update

Celebrating 5 years of advancements in reuse, the 2025 “WRAP Update on Collaborative Progress” highlights recent accomplishments by WRAP action leaders and partners. Since its inception in February 2020, the WRAP has grown from 37 actions to 73 action commitments, encompassing new developments in state regulatory policy, infrastructure investments, scientific and technological research, public perception, and technical support and information. Over the past five years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and WRAP action leaders have convened state regulators to expand adoption of water reuse policy and regulations across the United States, published a framework for developing risk-based treatment targets, and produced white papers addressing key challenges to scaling up industrial water recycling, among other actions. The WRAP currently consists of 178 partner organizations and continues to assist states and communities in solving local water challenges. The WateReuse Association celebrates five years of the WRAP and looks forward to our continued partnership with EPA.

Federal Leadership Updates
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now announced President Trump’s Regional Administrator appointments for all EPA Regions except Regions 3 and 5. The most recent of these announcements were for Mark Sanborn in Region 1 covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; Kevin McOmber in Region 4 covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee; Cyrus Western in Region 8 covering Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota; and Josh F.W. Cook in Region 9 covering Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and the Pacific Islands. Each Regional Administrator is also responsible for overseeing environmental issues affecting federally recognized Tribes within the states in their purview. The WateReuse Association will continue to track leadership changes as President Trump builds out his Administration.

State Updates and Member Profiles

MD: WateReuse Members Drive Passage of Maryland Bill Permitting Water Recycling for Groundwater Recharge

Last week, the Maryland State Senate unanimously passed a bill establishing a Managed Aquifer Recharge Pilot Program. The bill grants the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) authority to issue a groundwater augmentation permit for a single pilot project which will use recycled water to supplement groundwater supply. Maryland members of WateReuse Mid-Atlantic played a key role in shaping and securing support for the initiative, which mandates reverse osmosis treatment for water injected into a confined aquifer and year-long hydrogeological monitoring to track effects on groundwater conditions. The bill establishes a structured approach to the use of reclaimed water for aquifer recharge and provides a foundation for long-term sustainable water management in Maryland.

Learn More

TX: Submit an Abstract by April 18 to Speak in Houston

WateReuse Texas is now accepting abstract proposals for the 2025 WateReuse Texas Conference, September 16-18 in Houston. Texas’ 20th anniversary conference will feature three tracks of sessions including presentations about reuse-related research, funding, case studies, treatment technologies, planning, communications, advocacy and more. Submit your idea today – and take the podium in Houston to share your vision for the future of recycled water!

Submit Abstract

FL: City of Vero Beach Awarded $11.3M for Water Recycling Plant

Governor Ron DeSantis awarded $11.3 million to WateReuse member City of Vero Beach to construct a wastewater treatment facility that will recycle wastewater for irrigation purposes, removing nitrogen and phosphorus to combat cultural eutrophication in the Indian River Lagoon watershed. The new facility will use membrane bioreactor and biological nutrient removal techniques to treat the water and remove excess nutrients, with a projected capacity of 5 million gallons per day. Vero Beach also received $5 million for the Main Canal to Irrigation Project, which will pipe a projected 4 million gallons per day of recycled stormwater from Vero Beach to John's Island to be used for irrigation. DeSantis also announced additional funding for the Melbourne Grant Street Water Reclamation Facility Water Quality Improvement Project to upgrade waste treatment processes. The Melbourne Grant Street facility has a treatment capacity of 5.5 million gallons per day. 

CA: West Basin Municipal Water District Awards Five Year Contract for Water Recycling Facilities to Jacobs

WateReuse members West Basin Municipal Water District in Carson, CA and Jacobs Project Management have announced a five-year contract, with $31.5 million allocated for the first year, for Jacobs to provide operations and maintenance services across five of West Basin's facilities. West Basin produces 40 million gallons per day of recycled water and 11 billion gallons annually, providing five types of recycled water including for irrigation and industrial and commercial applications. "This contract is a critical investment in West Basin's recycled water facilities and reflects the District's commitment to ensuring the sustainable continued operation of our recycled water program," said West Basin Board President and Division II Director Gloria Gray. Jacobs will begin providing operations and maintenance services for West Basin's facilities, which include 400 recycled water connections at more than 300 customer sites, on September 1. 

Learn More

Research Update

Rewater Center Report Suggests Enhancing Pathogen Credit Systems in Reverse Osmosis for Improved Water Recycling Efficiency

The newest issue of the Potable Water Reuse Report analyzes pathogen crediting frameworks for reverse osmosis (RO), proposing expanding crediting frameworks to more accurately capture RO's effectiveness at removing pathogens. As the report explains, current frameworks may under-credit RO as a pathogen barrier. To address this issue, the report highlights the need for alternative surrogates that correlate more accurately with virus rejection in RO treatment. This report is issued by the Rewater Center at the University of Southern California, a member of the WateReuse Association, and falls under WRAP Action 7.10, "Implement the DoD funded Water Reuse Consortium for Water Resiliency at Military and Municipal Facilities."

Member Resources and Benefits

Help Steer the Future of Water Reuse

Are you ready to become more involved with the WateReuse Association and share your water reuse expertise? Join one of our committees to drive industry thought leadership on issues impacting your community or business, access best practices, and network with leaders focused on similar issues.

Join a Standing Committee

WateReuse Events and Webcasts

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.

2025 Florida Water Reuse Week Summit

May 21, 2025 | Jupiter, FL
Jupiter Community Center

Florida Water Reuse Week is May 18-24. Join us on May 21 in Jupiter for the Reuse Week Summit, featuring speakers and conversations about water reuse in the Sunshine State.

Learn More

2025 Industrial Water Solutions Conference
Build Resilience Through Technology, Markets, & Innovation

June 23-25, 2025 | Columbus, OH

Water is the fuel of the new economy. The Industrial Water Solutions conference will bring together business and utility leaders for knowledge-sharing, networking, and collaboration. Industrial Water Solutions is the essential conference for professionals that provide, treat, manage, use, or regulate water in industrial settings to find solutions that turn waste streams into value streams. Participants will share strategies that increase resilience and ensure reliable water resources for both industry and the communities in which they locate.

Presented by WateReuse Association & Water Environment Federation

2025 WateReuse Arizona Symposium

July 20-22, 2025
Flagstaff, AZ - High Country Conference Center

Water Professionals from across the state of Arizona, including state departments, utilities, consultants, contractors, regulators, equipment manufacturers and laboratory services, and guests from neighboring states, will convene to hear presentations and engage in conversations regarding water reuse in Arizona.

Save the Date: 2025 WateReuse Texas Annual Conference

September 16-18, 2025 | Houston, TX

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

Learn More

2025 WateReuse California Annual Conference

September 21-23, 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.

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