Hello WateReuse community! 

I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the WateReuse Association, and I want to thank Brian Biesemeyer for stewarding this organization through a period of change.  

It has already been a pleasure connecting with many of you, and I’ve been deeply inspired by the expertise, creativity, and dedication that define this community. 

As we look to the future, I’m excited to continue building on the strong foundation laid by past leadership and our members. Drawing on my experience at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, I’m committed to advancing the goals of water reuse while fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. 

2025 has been a year of milestones, from the record-breaking 40th Annual WateReuse Symposium to the 5th anniversary of the national Water Reuse Action Plan. Moving forward, WateReuse Association is expanding our capacity to support members with better tools, robust state sections, and world-class events. I hope you’ll join us for the journey.  

The WateReuse Association and WateReuse Arizona welcome the University of Arizona! The University of Arizona contributes to water recycling efforts across Arizona and beyond through its Water Resources Research Center, which conducts research on advanced treatment systems and contaminant removal, and its Cooperative Extension, which distributes public education resources throughout the state. In addition to these initiatives, the University of Arizona has developed an innovative virtual reality tour of an advanced water purification facility. Led by Professor of Technical Communication Dr. Claire Lauer, the Flow Forward project won a 2025 WateReuse Award for Excellence in the Outreach & Education category and the WateReuse Arizona Project of the Year Award.

This month, WateReuse member Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s Board of Commissioners approved a resolution supporting water reuse across Cook County. In the resolution titled “The Importance of Water Reuse,” the Board outlines existing water reuse case studies in Illinois, regional environmental initiatives that can be bolstered by reuse, the broad scalability of water reuse solutions, and the environmental justice and economic benefits of implementing water reuse infrastructure. The resolution also includes a commitment to conduct a targeted survey of potential non-potable reuse customers within one year of the resolution’s approval with the goal of identifying at least one pilot reuse study. The resolution concludes with an affirmation of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago’s partnership with water organizations including WateReuse Illinois and The Water Research Foundation. 

This month, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill permitting Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District to sell recycled water and receive wastewater for treatment from private entities within a 50-mile radius, effective immediately. The bill expands recycled water availability in the district and increases capacity for industrial reuse, protecting local water supply and allowing the district to profit from selling its recycled water. “Let’s say that we have a data center that’s built downstream from us. We can use some of that water for their cooling center, or let’s say we have a new factory come to town, and they want to use a cooling system or water for their cooling systems. This gives us permission to sell our treated effluent,” said District Executive Director Timothy Ervin.

This summer, Botanica Wichita used over two million gallons of recycled water to irrigate its 20-acre grounds with water from WateReuse member City of Wichita’s pilot treatment facility. Botanica partnered with the City of Wichita to divert water from its test lines, which otherwise would have been discharged, to the gardens for free. “Water is expensive, and Botanica spends a great deal of funds on water to keep our gardens beautiful and vibrant. So, this opportunity has alleviated that stress, giving us free access over the summer,” said Botanica Executive Director Dr. Lynette Zimmerman. The City of Wichita is currently implementing a $1.2 million recycled water study with the aim of capturing and reusing half of its wastewater in a multi-phase approach that would begin with industrial reuse and progress to potable reuse.  

This month, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced that its Idaho Sustainable Agriculture Initiative for Dairy (ISAID) has developed a “Clean Water Machine” prototype, which captures waste from dairy farms and recycles it for irrigation. The system uses sedimentation, membrane filtration, and advanced chemical treatments to purify wastewater, removing its significant nutrient content. “This system could let farms recycle up to 80% of their process water, cutting costs and protecting local waterways,” noted Extension Engineer Lisa Martinez. ISAID has also developed a method to create fertilizer through nutrient recovery from wastewater and convert manure from dairy farms into biodegradable plastics.  

Mehul Patel, Executive Director of Operations at Orange County Water District (OCWD), highlighted OCWD’s history of innovation in water reuse and the technical and sustainability features of its system in an article published last week in Smart Water Magazine. The district’s Groundwater Replenishment System has recycled 461 billion gallons of potable water since it began operating in 2008, Patel emphasizes, outlining its progression from a 70 million gallon per day capacity to its current 130 million gallon per day capacity through three expansions. Patel touts the history of OCWD’s innovative approach to water reuse and its continued efforts to enhance operations and diversify its water supply.  

Last week, Semiconductor Engineering published a comprehensive article on water usage at semiconductor fabricators. The piece details the various end uses for water at semiconductor fabricators, explaining how climate variability contributes to evaporative loss, water reuse as a solution to fabricators’ water management challenges, and the industrial-municipal partnerships that sustain the semiconductor industry. The article highlights WateReuse member Intel’s Ocotillo Campus, whose municipal partnership with the City of Chandler and Brine Reduction Facility reduces potable water use at the site by more than two thirds. The article also highlights the role of semiconductor fabricators as water stewards in partnership with municipalities: “If the industrial reclaim plant does its job, it protects our downstream assets and keeps rivers and aquifers in better shape when that water eventually cycles back to drinking supplies,” notes Baria Kimball, Deputy Director for Environmental and Safety for City of Phoenix Water Services. The article further outlines water recycling challenges such as the need for ultrapure water, segregation and fit-for-purpose reuse, digital twins and supervisory control, and managing contaminants of concern. 

Vijay Sundaram and Rosa Gwinn of WateReuse member AECOM penned a piece featured in Smart Water Magazine last week outlining how potable reuse can address the twin challenges of PFAS contamination and water scarcity, providing economic and environmental co-benefits. Gwinn and Sundaram highlight the efficacy of common potable reuse treatment technologies like reverse osmosis and granular activated carbon in removing PFAS, emphasizing the benefits of integrating potable reuse and PFAS removal to reduce long-term costs. Citing a study conducted in Orange County which found that a 15% reduction in water supply would reduce local economic output by $6.5 billion, Gwinn and Sundaram contend that integrating PFAS removal and potable reuse helps communities mitigate economic risks while protecting public health and the environment. The authors also detail innovative PFAS removal technologies like Super Critical Water Oxidation and Electrochemical Oxidation which reduce the environmental impact associated with more traditional methods of PFAS disposal. 

Water has been reused for agricultural irrigation in Texas since 1800, and for industrial uses since the 1940s and 1950s in Odessa, Big Spring, and Amarillo. Today, Texas reuses water for power plant cooling, commercial and municipal irrigation, river and stream flow enhancement, natural gas and oil field production, augmentation of drinking water supplies, and more. The Texas Profile in Reuse includes case studies explaining the role of recycled water in providing surplus water in case of drought, sustaining habitat for wildlife, and more. Whether you’re persuading policymakers or educating students, this document supplies an overview of the most impactful water reuse projects and applications across Texas. Join us at the 20th Annual WateReuse Texas conference to learn more!

September 11, 2025
10:00 am ET | 7:00 am PT 
Free to the public 

Join WateReuse Ohio to get a detailed overview of the risk-based approach for designing and monitoring water reuse systems. Drs. Michael Jahne and Jay Garland from the U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development will describe how quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) has been used to define pathogen log reduction targets (LRTs) for reuse systems and present emerging work on chemical risk methods to inform treatment. Jahne and Garland will discuss translating the risk models into crediting frameworks to inform the design of treatment systems as well as shifting from end point water quality measurements to surrogate monitoring to assess performance. They will illustrate the development of the risk-based approach using a range of alternative source waters and end uses, with concluding remarks on the key next steps for continued advancement. 

Presented by WateReuse Ohio.

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.

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.

September 21-23, 2025 | San Diego, CA

Register today for WateReuse California’s annual conference in San Diego! Hear from a wide range of expert speakers and tour local San Diego-area water reuse projects.

March 8-11 | Los Angeles, CA

Save the date for the premier conference on water recycling — attracting water professionals and water reuse practitioners globally for knowledge-sharing, networking, and collaboration.