What person, project, or initiative has inspired you the most in your water reuse journey?  

The deadline to submit a nomination for the 2026 WateReuse Awards for Excellence has been extended to Friday, October 17! The awards recognize individuals and projects that have made significant contributions in support of greater adoption of water reuse.  

Don’t miss the chance to honor that inspirational person or project on the big stage. Award winners will be recognized at a ceremony during the 2026 WateReuse Symposium, March 8-11 in Los Angeles, CA.  

The WateReuse Association welcomes the University at Buffalo! The University at Buffalo advances research in water reuse through its Environmental and Water Resources Engineering program and Research and Education in Energy, Environment, and Water (RENEW) Institute. The RENEW Institute is currently undertaking research projects involving antimicrobial resistance in wastewater treatment, onsite water reuse systems, PFAS remediation, and more.  

Today at the Reykjavik Summit on Water and Climate Change, Bart Weiss, President of WateReuse Association, and Jon Freedman, President of the International Desalination and Reuse Association and Secretary of WateReuse presented a collaborative whitepaper titled “Initiating a Global Dialogue on Water Reuse: Sharing Perspectives from Around the World to Advance Water Reuse.”  

The report examines drivers, challenges, and opportunities for accelerating the adoption of water reuse around the world to address increasing water scarcity. Featuring insights from over 70 water reuse experts across 18 countries, the paper encompasses action steps and relevant resources across four topical areas: governance, regulations, and policy; technology; financing; and communications. 

Last month, the Sonoran Institute, in partnership with Pima County and WateReuse member Tucson Water, released the 2025 Living River Report highlighting the role of recycled water in maintaining flow year-round. Tucson Water adds 2.8 million gallons per day of recycled water to the river to maintain its flow as part of The Santa Cruz River Heritage Project. The report emphasizes the positive ecological impact of restored flow, noting a year-over-year trend of increased biodiversity in the river ecosystem as a result. “The conditions in the river are stable,” said Eleonora Demaria, chief hydrologist at Pima County Flood Control. “The quality of the water is very high – that hasn’t changed.” 

Last month, WateReuse member PCL Construction announced that it will construct the City of Boise’s first water recycling system. The project, which began in 2021 when the mayor and City Council approved the utility’s project proposal, is expected to recycle 6 million gallons per day for aquifer recharge and industrial use. PCL is expected to begin construction in 2027, and the project is expected to become operational in 2031. “We are excited to partner with the City of Boise on this project, even more so since it creates so much value for their community members by protecting water quality and adding 6 million gallons to the water renewal system,” said PCL Civil Infrastructure West Region District Manager Ankur Talwar. On the benefits of recycling water for groundwater recharge, City of Boise Director of Public Works Steve Burgos said, "About 70% of our drinking water in Boise comes from the aquifer, so we think it's a smart decision."   

The City of Olympia this month entered an Interlocal Agreement with WateReuse member LOTT Clean Water Alliance to support a potable reuse demonstration project that will pilot granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis treatment technologies. The city will contribute $50,000 from its Drinking Water Capital Fund to LOTT’s Class A+ Reclaimed Water Demonstration Pilot Project — the first direct potable reuse pilot project in the state. Other local counties also entered agreements and contributed funds, including Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston Counties. “Let’s work on this before it is an emergency. We don’t have new sources of water coming in. These are the new sources of water that we can have available to us," said Olympia City Council Member Dani Madrone. The pilot project funding also includes a public outreach component which will partner with a local community college’s brewing program to use the recycled water in beer.

WateReuse Association’s recent webcasts have highlighted insights from the U.S. EPA on risk-based approaches to water reuse and defining, monitoring and assessing different water reuse approaches. If you missed these engaging sessions, you can view them now on the WateReuse Webcast Library along with over 100 other recorded webcasts available exclusively to members. Create your member login today to see them all! WateReuse presents webcasts on water recycling technology, operations, research, and policy issues and archives them for member use. 

October 16, 2025 
1:30 PM ET | 10:30 AM PT
Free to WateReuse Members

Join us for a webcast exploring effective source control strategies for Advanced Water Purification. Doug Rice of Black & Veatch and Mary Kate Forkan of Carollo Engineers will highlight examples of successful source control strategies at various Arizona utilities. Rice and Forkan will cover regulatory requirements for source control under Arizona’s new Advanced Water Purification rule as well as overlap with federal regulatory requirements for water quality. This webinar will be instructive for any utility exploring mechanisms to enhance their approach to source control. 

Presented by WateReuse Arizona.

November 13, 2025 
10:00 am ET | 7:00 am PT 
Free to WateReuse Members 

Join us to learn about Upper Occoquan Service Authority's water recycling history & journey. Upper Occoquan Service Authority (UOSA) is a regional water recycling facility that protects public health and the environment as trusted stewards of our most precious resource – water. They have a long track record and will discuss their story along with how they are facing new challenges, such as emerging contaminants (PFAS), changes to influent load from water conservation, and changes to treatment targets. 

 
Presented by WateReuse Ohio. 

March 8-11 | Los Angeles, CA

Super Saver Registration is now open for the premier conference on water recycling — attracting water professionals and water reuse practitioners globally for knowledge-sharing, networking, and collaboration.