
Message from WateReuse Association Leadership
During this time of crisis
Just Released: WateReuse President Gilbert Trejo Celebrates Association’s Successes in 30th Anniversary World Water Interview
In an interview with World Water, WateReuse Association President Gilbert Trejo discusses the growth of water reuse, the importance of water reuse advocacy, and the association’s past successes and vision for the future. Released last week, the March/April issue includes a special section on water reuse that highlights the release of the National Water Reuse Action Plan, previews the 35th Annual WateReuse Symposium, and profiles Tucson Water’s efforts to revitalize the Santa Cruz River with recycled water, among other articles. WateReuse partners with the Water Environment Federation to produce the special section in three issues per year.
Washington Update

COVID-19 Relief Efforts Continue in Congress
Virtual Water Reuse Advocacy: Join Water Week Webinars on April 22 and April 29
Action Needed: Submit Your “Shovel-Ready” Water Recycling Projects for Stimulus Investment
COVID-19 Resources for Water Recycling Agencies, Businesses, and Institutions
Federal Agencies Provide Guidance on Water and COVID-19
WateReuse Members and Partners Provide COVID-19 Guidance
WateReuse Member Spotlight: COVID-19 Experiences and Responses
Researchers Partner with Water Recycling Agencies to Test for COVID-19
Researchers from the Southern Nevada Water Authority, University of Arizona, and several other universities are coordinating with water reuse and wastewater agencies to test for the presence of COVID-19 in influent wastewater. Widespread monitoring of wastewater across regions and time could provide critical information related to the prevalence of COVID-19 across the nation, time series comparisons with clinically confirmed cases, and an early warning system of the reemergence of the virus. The researchers are asking partnering agencies to freeze influent wastewater for testing at regular intervals. The research team also released a fact sheet last week on the Implications of COVID-19 for Water, Wastewater, and Water Reuse. For more information, contact Daniel Gerrity at SNWA.
Clean Water Services Staff Make their Own Hand Sanitizer and Disinfecting Wipes
Employees of Clean Water Services in Oregon have taken on a few new duties. In response to the shortage of commercially available products, staff is producing hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to help protect employees that continue doing the important work of maintaining our treatment plant systems. See LinkedIn
Xylem Shares How Digital Water Solutions Can Help Combat COVID-19
After surveying 25 utilities in the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, WateReuse Association member Xylem believes those that invested in digitizing their workflow and operations fared better. In an article published last week, Xylem Vice President and General Manager, Albert Cho, discussed the important role that secure digital technologies is playing in the resilience of operations during these times of crisis. Coming out of Covid-19, Cho says investing in secure digital transformation will become a central part of utility resilience strategies. Read More.
Share Your Story!
Please submit your COVID-19 story or your company’s COVID-19 response (up to 50 words) for inclusion in a future issue of WateReuse Review. Email your information to info@watereuse.org by Thursday at 12 pm ET.
State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Member!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new member:
California: WateReuse California Elects New Board Members and Officers
California: Governor Suspends Service Disconnections Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
On April 2, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-42-20, Restrictions on Shutoffs, which restricts Public Water Systems (PWS) from disconnecting water service to residences and critical infrastructures due to non-payment. The Executive Order also requested that the California State Water Board identify ways to support water systems and customers, such as this web page that provides COVID-19 information and allows customers to report water shutoff issues.
Massachusetts: Wastewater Study Indicates Coronavirus Cases are Undercounted
Researchers tested samples of wastewater from an urban treatment plant in March and concluded that there are likely hundreds more people with coronavirus in the area than officials thought. There were about 450 confirmed coronavirus cases in the area of the treatment facility, but researchers estimated that the number of people actually infected with coronavirus is between 2,300 and 115,000. The study’s authors emphasized that while they can detect the virus in urine and feces, people are not at risk of getting the disease through sewage. Read More
New Mexico: Partnership Formed to Advance Produced Water Reuse in Agriculture
Two midstream companies have formed a partnership that they hope will lead to a treatment facility in Lea County that recycles oil and gas wastewater for use in agriculture. New Mexico-based Hungry Horse Environmental Services will provide the land and Wyoming-based Encore Environmental Group will provide technology to recycle produced water for agricultural use. New Mexico has established a consortium of researchers and government officials to research regulations on oil and gas produced water reuse. The two companies plan to work with the consortium to develop a conservation-by-design system that complies with the regulations the consortium develops. Read More.
Qatar: Recycled Water for Cooling Saves 2.2 Billion Gallons of Potable Water Annually
As much as 70% of Qatar’s electricity demand is for air conditioning. District cooling (DC) is a system that uses 40% less energy and with recycled water, significantly less potable water. Qatar has 20 DC plants using recycled water for the cooling plant operation, which saved about 2.2 billion gallons of potable water last year. Minimizing air conditioning’s electricity and potable water demand will help Qatar effectively cool the 2022 FIFA World Cup stadiums. Read more.
WateReuse Communications Tools and Resources
Understanding Potable Reuse: New Video Targets Public Health and Medical Community
The WateReuse Association’s new video, Understanding Potable Reuse: A Safe and Sustainable Supply, discusses the proven, science-based treatment processes that are used safely in communities around the world. In the video, experts from academia, public health, and utilities discuss the value of engaging with the medical community and including discussions of water in public health education. The video was produced as part of the WateReuse Public Health and Medical Community Initiative.
Conferences and Events
Webcast: Breaking Down Implementation Barriers for Onsite Non-Potable Water Systems
What are the key components of a successful onsite non-potable water system? Join us April 15 at 2 pm to learn about a Water Research Foundation guidance manual and interactive training modules to tackle critical knowledge gaps businesses and utilities. The presentation will cover treatment goals, effective design, strategies for effective operation and monitoring, and regulatory and permitting frameworks. Register Now!
Webcast: Managing Teams Remotely During Times of Crisis
Managing teams remotely is challenging in the best of times, but in times of crisis, executives and team leaders need to develop an entirely new set of management skills to ensure their teams feel supported and cared for as they work to remain productive. Join us on April 16 at 12 pm ET to learn from Dr. Bill Mitchell, COO of MoreTalent and former executive of fortune 500 companies, who specializes in helping leaders develop exceptional performing teams through periods of uncertainty and crisis. Register Now!
Webcast: America’s Water Infrastructure Act – Implications for Water Reuse and COVID-19
Are water recycling utilities well prepared to deal with the COVID-19 crisis and other potential future risks? Join us on April 21 at 2 pm ET for a discussion of America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) and risk assessment for utilities. AWIA requires all utilities serving 3,300 or more people to complete a risk and resilience assessment (RRA) for their water systems, followed by the completion of an emergency response plan. This presentation will discuss risk and risk perceptions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Register Now!
Upcoming Events
Register Now!
Join Us!
2:00 – 4:00 pm ET| 11:00 am – 1:00 pm PT
Fee: Complimentary
Join a group of stormwater management leaders from around the US to discuss stormwater capture motivations and drivers, barriers to progress, and future directions. This group will touch on questions like- Why are communities pursuing stormwater capture for use now? How do community interests in stormwater harvesting vary across the country? What factors get in the way of progress? Where do we want to be with stormwater capture in 20 years? The audience will learn about the different motivators, unique strategies, and opportunities to market and advance stormwater capture across the U.S.
Presenters
- Randy Bartlett, Fairfax County VA
- Sharlene Leurig, Texas Water Trade/Austin Water Forward
- Mark Doneux, St. Paul, MN Capitol Region Watershed District
- James Moore, Georgia Association of Water Professionals
- Enrique Zaldivar, City of Los Angeles
- Lynn Broaddus, Water Environment Federation
- Drew Wenzel, Google
This webinar will be the first of a series of four webinars as part of the National Water Reuse Action Plan, Action 2.3.3. Co-sponsors include the WateReuse Association, U.S. EPA, National Association of Municipal Stormwater Agencies (NMSA), Re-Inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), Water Environment Federation, and Johnson Foundation at Wingspread (JFW).
Save the Date
Join us for the second webinar in this series.
Developing Stormwater Treatment Standards – Where’s the Action?
February 23, 2021
2:00 – 4:00 pm ET
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Join Us!
9:00 am – 10:00 am Pacific | 12:00 – 1:00 pm Eastern
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Wastewater-based epidemiology was utilized to detect SARS-Cov-19 in the wastewater of student dorms upon re-entry of University of Arizona students in the fall semester of 2020. Positive wastewater samples allowed for subsequent targeted clinical testing of dorm students and the identification of both symptomatic and asymptomatic Covid-19 infections. Early detection of infected individuals resulted in reduced exponential spread of Covid-19 and allowed the university to remain open throughout the semester.
Presenter
Ian Pepper, Director, WEST Center & Professor, Environmental Science
Dr. Pepper is an environmental microbiologist whose research has focused on the fate and transport of pathogens in air, water, soils and municipal wastes. More recently, he has investigated the potential for real-time detection of contaminants in water distribution systems. Dr. Pepper is Professor in the Community, Environment, and Policy Department in the UA College of Public Health, as well as Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering. In addition to his duties at the WEST Center, he is director of the National Science Foundation Water Quality Center at the UA.
He also teaches a graduate level laboratory class on Environmental Microbiology, and an undergraduate class on Pollution Science. He has co-authored numerous books and journal articles on Environmental Microbiology and Pollution Science, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Microbiology, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Soil Science Society of America.
He received his Ph.D. in Soil Microbiology from The Ohio State University, M.S. in Soil Biochemistry from Ohio State, and B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham, Great Britain.
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Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm ET| 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
As more communities face water quantity challenges, water reuse is a viable option to expand drinking water sources. Although all water is recycled as it moves through the environment, the practice of treating wastewater to be used for potable water is sometimes met with skepticism. Some of this stems from the “toilet to tap” campaigns that may have led to more rejection of water reuse than acceptance.
Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is a framework that evaluates the many factors impacting water reuse practices and management, as well as those influencing community perception. With the emergence of new pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, the acceptance of water recycling as part of a community’s drinking water sustainability plan may be even more challenging. This webcast will describe how QMRA may be used to communicate with stakeholders – including healthcare providers – the human health safeguards associated with water reuse implementation.
Presenters
- Karla Mendez, PhD Candidate, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, El Paso campus
- Kristina Mena, MSPH, PhD, Regional Dean and Associate Professor, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, El Paso campus
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First Quarter:
Remote – Zoom
Friday, March 12, 2021
11:00 am to 2pm EST // 10 to 1 CST // 9:00 to 12 MST // 8:00 to 11 PST
Second Quarter:
Remote – Zoom
Friday, June 4, 2021
11:00 am to 2pm EST // 10 to 1 CST // 9:00 to 12 MST // 8:00 to 11 PST
Third Quarter:
Los Angeles, J.W. Marriott L.A. LIVE
Friday, Sept 17, 2021
11:00 am to 2pm EST // 10 to 1 CST // 9:00 to 12 MST // 8:00 to 11 PST