WateReuse Review: EPA Data on Unregulated Contaminants, Water-as-a-Service, and more

News from the Leading Advocate for Water Reuse

June 9, 2025

Two Weeks Left Until Industrial Water Solutions!

Join us at Industrial Water Solutions in Columbus, Ohio from June 23-25 to learn how the circular water economy, resource recovery, and water reuse are reshaping water management strategies in the industrial space. The interactive workshops, tours panels, and cocktail hour will feature representatives from industry, utilities, and government, with expertise ranging from policy and regulatory, financial, and technological subject matter.

Washington Update

WateReuse Works to Protect Funding for Water Reuse Grant and Loan Programs

Last week, the WateReuse Association joined with our water sector association partners to deliver a letter to Congress, urging robust investments in the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) programs. The letter was delivered in response to the President’s FY 2026 Budget Request, which proposes nearly zero funding for all three programs. The Budget Request also proposes to zero out funding for the Title XVI Water Reuse Grants Program. WateReuse staff was on Capitol Hill last week, meeting with staff for House and Senate appropriations subcommittees that have jurisdiction over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Bureau of Reclamation. Those subcommittees are beginning to put together their FY 2026 funding bills now and plan to debate and pass them later this month and early next month. WateReuse is actively engaged with the appropriations subcommittees and with champions in the House and Senate to beat back the President’s proposed cuts. Look out for an action alert in the coming days with more information about how you can help protect funding for these critical programs in FY 2026.

Read the Letter

EPA Publishes Data on Unregulated Contaminants

The EPA recently published their eighth set of data under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), which tracks and compiles data on the prevalence of contaminants in drinking water systems. The fifth round of the UCMR data collection began in 2021. The data collection under this rule is now 75% complete for lithium and 29 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds, representing data from roughly 6,900 public water systems at 18,000 sampling locations. The final data set for UCMR 5 is expected to be released in 2026.

Early results, based on a weighted estimate, indicate that 8.5% of public water systems nationwide have one or more PFAS present at a concentration exceeding the Maximum Contaminant Level outlined in the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Rule. Sixty six percent of the sampling locations with one PFAS result at or above the minimum reporting levels have others at or above the minimum levels as well. In areas with exceedances above the minimum reporting levels, PFAS tend to co-occur as mixtures.

The U.S. EPA has developed the UCMR Archival Data Finder to allow the public to more easily track this data and have created a data summary sheet for UCMR 5 specifically. WateReuse will continue to track these developments.

Industrial Update

Cambrian and ING Announce $150 Million Credit Facility

Last week, WateReuse member Cambrian Innovation and ING announced a $150 million credit facility which will support Cambrian’s Water-Energy Purchase Agreement (WEPA) financing model. Cambrian was the first company to offer the WEPA financing model, a service-based model that charges clients on a per-gallon basis, eliminating upfront costs and managing operational risk for customers. The agreement with ING will supplement Cambrian’s existing $200 million equity commitment to the WEPA model. Cambrian Founder and CEO Matthew Silver and Cindy Jia, head of sustainable solutions at ING, will share insights on project financing during a panel discussion at the Industrial Water Solutions conference in Columbus, Ohio from June 23-25. The panel, also featuring representatives from J.P. Morgan, U.S. EPA, Stantec, and Kiewit, will take place on Wednesday, June 25.

Bluefield Research Podcast Highlights How High Tech Industries are Reshaping Water Infrastructure

Last week, Bluefield Research released a new podcast episode in its series titled The Future of Water, “Quenching High-Tech’s Thirst: The Rising Water Demands of Data Centers and Semiconductors.” The episode dives into the growing reliance of semiconductor manufacturers on advanced reuse systems, how the rise of AI is driving higher demand for data center cooling water, and the growing role of water-as-a-service models. “These are two industries that are reshaping infrastructure from the ground up,” says Bluefield Research President and CEO Riese Tisdale. Listen to the podcast for an overview of the most recent developments in water infrastructure for high tech industries.

Listen to the Podcast

State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New WateReuse Member!

The WateReuse Association and WateReuse Texas welcome Campbell Legal, PLLC! A law firm specializing in water issues, Campbell Legal’s practice areas span policy analysis, procurement, permits and contracts, preparedness, and minority and women owned business enterprise programs. Serving project owners, local governments and districts, public-private partnerships, and nonprofits, Campbell provides guidance on water, infrastructure, and resilience, helping organizations focus resources where they are needed most. Campbell’s track record includes negotiating the largest joint finance agreement for a water project in Texas history and leading the legal team on a progressive design-build agreement for the largest water plant in the U.S.

Campbell Legal

CA: The Guardian Visits California Water Reuse Facility

Science journalist Katharine Gammon visited Orange County Water District’s (OCWD) Groundwater Replenishment System facility to write a report for British newspaper The Guardian. The story, titled “Tastes Like Water,” quotes OCWD president Denis Bilodeau and executive director of operations Mehul Patel. “This is going to be a blueprint for any community that’s facing water scarcity, or wants to have more locally controlled water,” said Bilodeau.

Read the Article

Member Resources and Benefits

The WateReuse Association: Who We Are

If you want to learn more about what WateReuse Association does, or explain our mission to others, check out our institutional one-pager: “The WateReuse Association – Engage, Educate, Advocate!” This piece is easy to email or print and is a helpful tool in conversations about what we do as an association representing communities and institutions engaged in water recycling. The front page summarizes the WateReuse Association’s members and programs, and the back gives a brief introduction to water recycling and its benefits.

Engage, Educate, Advocate

WateReuse Events and Webcasts

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

Oregon Summer Summit & Social

June 26, 2025
Newberg, OR - Chehalem Glenn Golf Course

The WateReuse Association Pacific Northwest (PNW) section, in partnership with the City of Newberg, is hosting its fourth annual Summer Summit and Social. Participants will have the opportunity to network with colleagues, tour the Newburg Wastewater Treatment facility, and attend talks focused on technical topics and policy issues at this free event.

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.

WateReuse at the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association Conference

September 14-17, 2025 | Portland, OR

The Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibition (PNCWA2025) will feature a full-day track hosted by WateReuse Pacific Northwest on September 16, 2025. This year’s conference theme is Flowing Together: Stories of Dedication and Innovation.

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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