Reaching New Heights in Water Reuse: Participate in the Implementation of the National Water Reuse Action Plan at the 35th Annual WateReuse Virtual Symposium
Washington Update
U.S EPA Office of Water Announces Water Reuse Personnel Changes
WateReuse Awards for Excellence
Submit a Nomination for the 2021 WateReuse Awards for Excellence by September 30
Is your utility or business demonstrating leadership in advancing water recycling? Or do you know of an organization, individual, or partnership that has implemented an innovative solution that will inspire others? If so, submit a nomination for the 2021 WateReuse Awards for Excellence to get the recognition you deserve. Nominations are due September 30, 2020.
The 2021 WateReuse Awards for Excellence will recognize accomplishments for 2019 and 2020. Winners will be recognized in conjunction with the 36th Annual WateReuse Symposium, March 14-17, 2021. Submit a nomination now!
COVID-19 Spotlight
Southern California Adapts Recycled Water Outreach in Response to Pandemic
Like many other aspects of today’s society, the Southern California Water Coalition’s (SCWC) outreach efforts have gone virtual. To address public concerns on recycled water in the era of COVID-19, the SCWC is developing a series of animated videos on the development and uses of recycled water in Southern California. This effort is being undertaken by a diverse team of water agencies, academics, and recycled water experts, and is co-led by two WateReuse Association members, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Santa Margarita Water District. The videos will highlight the benefits of recycled water, including its safety, reliability, and resiliency. The first of three videos will be released in September 2020, with the rest set to be released in the Fall.
State Updates and Member Profiles
California: Court Requires State to Assess if Enough Water is Recycled in Los Angeles Region
The Los Angeles Superior Court ruled in favor of the Los Angeles Waterkeeper, requiring the state’s Water Resources Control Board to assess the impact of discharging billions of gallons of wastewater into the sea. The Water Resources Control Board is compelled to assess if it is “wasteful” and “unreasonable” for nearly 270 million gallons of treated water to be dumped into the Los Angeles River and Pacific Ocean daily, instead of recycling and reusing the water. The ruling specifically applies to Hyperion, Tillman, Burbank, and Los Angeles-Glendale plants, but is being looked to as a potential precedent for the state. Read More.
California: Water Recycling and Environmental Learning Center Earns LEED Platinum Certification
The Water Replenishment District earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification for its Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling and Environmental Learning. The facility, opened in August 2019, replenishes groundwater resources with nearly 14 million gallons a day of advanced treated water, and is one of only 5.7% of LEED projects in the U.S. to earn such a certification. The facility also features 995 solar panels, recycled irrigation and low-flow irrigation, and specialty windows that save electric lighting and energy savings. Read More.
Colorado: Denver Water Implements Innovative One Water Strategies
Denver Water’s new administrative building was designed with One Water as a central tenant. The facility utilizes rainwater capture for irrigation and onsite wastewater treatment and recycling for reuse in the administrative building. The building was designed to achieve LEED-NC Platinum and Net Zero Energy certification standards. Read More.
Oregon: City of Echo Receives Federal Funding to Invest in Water Recycling Infrastructure
The City of Echo received nearly $1.7 million in grants and low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to upgrade the town’s wastewater infrastructure, build a water reuse pipeline, and meet compliance standards. A new pipeline will transport effluent to the nearby Stanfield collection system, eliminating the need to discharge treated wastewater into the Umatilla River. Read More.
Member Resources and Benefits
Find a Job or Post a Job at the WateReuse Career Center
Today’s high-tech water reuse programs require specialized skills to plan, manage, and operate. Use the WateReuse Association’s Career Center to find a new job or find the right talent to fill your position. As a job seeker, you can receive job openings in you inbox, post your resume, and access professional resources such reference checking and resume writing. As an employer, you can post jobs at a member discount and manage applications online. Visit the Career Center to set up your profile!
Conferences and Events
Bulk Registrations Available for 35th Annual WateReuse Virtual Symposium: For Every Five Registrations, Get One Free
Join us for the 35th Annual WateReuse Virtual Symposium to provide your entire team with high quality professional development and training on all aspects of water reuse. For every five registrations purchased, a free registration will be added – a cost savings of over $500! Take advantage of this team discount and the lack of travel expenses to provide professional development to your core team as well as staff who may be new to water reuse, and save in professional development costs!
Launching online September 14-16, 2020, the Annual WateReuse Symposium is the premier conference devoted to water recycling and offers more than 100 hours of technical presentations. Registrants can access the full program for up to 45 days – the virtue of going virtual is that you do not have to miss any content offerings! Register Now!
Upcoming Events
WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
Join Us!
11:00 am – 1:30 pm PT | 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET
Fee: Free
This webinar is hosted jointly by this year’s Water Week Water Association Partners and will provide attendees the opportunity to hear directly from key EPA officials and Members of Congress on the important regulatory and legislative water policies they are working on now and in the years ahead.
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Join us for a lively discussion with leaders from across the water sector about the future of water reuse and its importance as a tool to address the impacts of climate change and meet local water demands.
Please join us for a free webinar on April 29, 2021, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM EDT to celebrate the first year of the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP), including accomplishments of action leaders and partners and anticipated 2021 outcomes.
The Resilience through Collaboration: First Year Highlights and Future Directions of the National Water Reuse Action Plan webcast will feature remarks from Radhika Fox (EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Water), Felicia Marcus (William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program), and a roundtable discussion with WRAP action leaders and partners and other water reuse practitioners from around the United States. This event is hosted by EPA in collaboration with the WateReuse Association and other water sector partners.
The roundtable panelists include:
- Gilbert Trejo, El Paso Water, WateReuse President (moderator)
- Pinar Balci, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
- Mike Markus, Orange County Water District
- Melissa Klembara, U.S. Department of Energy
- Brandi Honeycutt, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment
- Paula Kehoe, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Chair of the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems
The WRAP collaborative was launched on February 27, 2020 with federal, state, tribal, local, and private sector partners to build technical, financial, and institutional capacity to spur further consideration and implementation of water reuse across the country. The story of the WRAP’s first year of implementation is one of incredible dedication and determination by a growing community of over 100 different organizations. The WRAP collaborative has enabled the formation of new action-based partnerships across the water community to help address local water resource challenges through holistic thinking and integrated efforts to ultimately strengthen our Nation’s water security, sustainability, and resilience.
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Join May Wu, Principal Environmental System Scientist with Argonne National Laboratory, for a webcast on the role of water reuse in bioenergy production.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
WateReuse Members: Free | Others: $49
Production of bioenergy from a range of feedstocks and biorefining pathways requires a substantial amount of water for irrigation, conversion process, cooling, and steam generation. Because the feedstock varies with climate and soil regions, an increased production will have implications in the availability of regional and local freshwater resources across the U.S. It is critical to understand how fit-for-purpose water recycling can be used to conserve freshwater.
This webcast presents findings from an Argonne National laboratory analyses of potential recycled water use to produce biofuels from conventional crops and algae and generate power by incorporating technology, climate, and geospatial-temporal components. Findings suggest a significant potential of producing advanced biofuel while doubling the amount of recycled water in use nationally. Results from this project support informed decision-making and strategic planning for water sustainable bioenergy development.
Presenter
May Wu is a principal environmental system scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. Her research interests are water resource use, water quality, and wastewater management in the production of biofuels and conventional energy.
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WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
Save the date! More information to come soon.
Learn how digital platforms that include artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to improve asset management strategies and operational efficiencies.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
In this webcast, our presenters will introduce how digital platforms that include artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be used to improve asset management strategies and operational efficiencies, as well as enhance source control, validate unit process performance, predict product water quality and make sound decisions for assessing suitability of product water for human consumption.
The data collected from pilot and full-scale potable reuse treatment trains have been used to develop artificial neuron networks as part of an ML platform. The platform clearly demonstrates that ML can be used to predict, for example, the product water total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of a pilot advanced treatment facility and the specific fluxes on the third stage of a full-scale advanced treatment facility as the feed quality and operating conditions are changed.
The methodology used and model outputs will be discussed during the webcast. The presenters will also examine how we can couple AI/ML concepts with the Internet of Things (IoT) and next generation of the SCADA systems to operate and maintain assets efficiently while significantly enhancing public and regulatory confidence in potable reuse projects.
Presenters
- Ufuk Erdal, Arcadis
- Jim Cooper, Arcadis
- Raluca Constantinescu, Arcadis
- Ozan Erdal, University of Washington
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