
Call for Abstracts: 2020 WateReuse Symposium
The WateReuse Association invites technical abstract submissions for the 35th Annual WateReuse Symposium, September 13-16, 2020 in the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado. The Annual WateReuse Symposium is the nation’s premier conference on water recycling – attracting water professionals for several days of knowledge-sharing, networking, and fun! The 2020 Symposium is being planned in collaboration with The Water Research Foundation and will include presentations on the latest reuse-related research. Abstracts are due February 18, 2020.
Washington Update

National Blue Ribbon Commission Comments on National Water Reuse Action Plan
Congress Reaches Deal on FY 2020 Appropriations Legislation
Last week, top congressional negotiators reached a deal on federal funding for FY 2020. The agreement significantly reduces the chance of a government shutdown on December 20 when the current funding extension expires. At the time of writing, the text of the appropriations package had not yet been released. The House is expected to take up the legislation on Tuesday, December 17 before sending it to the Senate for consideration. Stay tuned for detailed information about the funding levels included for key water recycling programs.
Save the Date: Join Us for Water Week 2020 to Advance Water Recycling
Make plans to join the WateReuse Association in Washington, DC for the National Water Policy Fly-In during Water Week 2020, April 26-May 1. Water Week is the only national policy event of the year that draws together water professionals from across the country to advocate for the unique needs of recycled water, drinking water, and clean water utilities. Water Week is an opportunity to advance policy priorities for water utilities, including greater federal investment in water infrastructure, and a celebration of the role utilities play in communities nationwide. WateReuse encourages our members to participate so that we can ensure that recycled water is an integral part of the Water Week message.
State Updates and Member Profiles
California: Metropolitan Water District Approves $285M for Pure Water San Diego
WateReuse Association member the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California announced it will provide up to $285.6 million in incentives to San Diego’s Pure Water recycling project over the next 25 years. The $1.4 billion project, being developed by the City of San Diego, will use advanced treatment processes to purify cleaned wastewater to create a drinking supply for the city’s residents. The funding will come from Metropolitan’s Local Resources Program, which provides financial incentives for the development of local water supplies, such as water recycling, groundwater recovery and desalination. Read more.
California: WateReuse California Seeks Nominations for Awards of Excellence
WateReuse California is accepting nominations for the Annual Awards of Excellence, which will be presented during a ceremony at the 2020 California Annual Conference in San Francisco, March 15-17, 2020. The awards recognize agencies, customers, and individuals that have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing water recycling in California. Award nominations are due January 10, 2020. Learn More.
Oregon: WateReuse Board Treasurer Diane Taniguchi-Dennis Receives 2019 Water Finance & Management Award
Diane Taniguchi-Dennis, the Chief Executive Officer of Clean Water Services and WateReuse Association Board of Directors Treasurer, was presented the 2019 Water Finance & Management Award. The award recognizes leaders in the water sector who are driving innovation and who have had a lasting and meaningful impact in their utility or field. Taniguchi-Dennis is a nationally recognized water leader serving on the boards of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, WateReuse, and The Water Research Foundation. Clean Water Services is renowned for its achievements in resource recovery and serves about 600,000 residents in the urbanized portions of the Tualatin River Watershed. Read More.
WateReuse Communications Tools and Resources
Profiles in Reuse: Flyer Explains Safety and Reliability of Potable Reuse
The WateReuse Association released a new flyer, Profiles in Reuse: Potable Reuse, which members can use to inform ratepayers, elected officials, and other stakeholders about the safety and reliability of using purified water as part of the drinking water supply. The flyer also supports WateReuse’s Medical Community Initiative, which seeks to build support for potable reuse among medical and public health officials. This flyer is the first in a series of Profiles in Reuse that will serve as resources for member communication on water recycling. Download Flyer.
Conferences and Events
Webcast: Integrating Onsite Water Reuse with Centralized Treatment Systems
Can onsite water reuse systems be successfully integrated with a community’s centralized treatment system? Please join us December 19 to learn about successes and lessons learned in communities that encourage onsite water reuse. You will also learn about model legislation and a soon-to-be-released training manual developed by the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems to advance more widespread adoption of onsite non-potable water systems. Register Now!
2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference
Do not miss the 2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference, March 15-17, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, California! The conference is designed for individuals, organizations, and agencies that are associated with or interested in the design, management, operation, and use of water recycling facilities and projects in California. Register Now!
Mazars Presents Women of Water Summit, Women in Water Awards
Mazars USA is launching the Women of Water Summit – a dynamic event promoting industry-leading women and fostering discussion around how to enhance the position of women in the sector. The event will take place January 9, 2020 in Arlington, VA and will feature presenters from several WateReuse member organizations. Mazars USA is also accepting nominations for the Top 10 Influential Women in Water Awards. Nominations are due December 20, 2019 and winners will be announced at the Mazars Women of Water Summit.
Upcoming Events

8:00 am PT | 11 am ET | 5:00 pm CET (1 hour 30 minutes)
WateReuse Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1.5
Germany’s Approach to Water Reuse for Agricultural and Landscape Irrigation
Despite Germany’s temperate climate and history of adequate water resources, the country is experiencing droughts and extreme weather trends as a result of climate change. Germany’s increasing interest in employing water reuse for agricultural and landscape irrigation can serve as a model for other temperate regions facing these trends.
Join us for this 90-minute webcast covering the full timeline of reuse in Germany, including reuse initiatives which have existed for decades, future outlooks for reuse in Germany, and the recent European Water Reuse Regulation (2020/741) which went into effect in June 2023. Our panel of research and utility experts will also present ongoing research related to non-potable reuse of municipal wastewater for agricultural and landscape irrigation, which is part of the German BMBF Water Technologies: Reuse (WavE) funding program.
Moderator:
- Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva, Project Manager, Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin
Speakers:
- Dr. Christina Jungfer, Project Manager, DECHEMA
- Prof. Dr. Jörg E. Drewes, Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich
- Markus Büttner, Environmental Engineer, Stadtentwässerung SCHWEINFURT
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Wintgens, Chair of Urban Water Management and Institute of Environemtnal Engineering, RWTH Aachen University
- Prof. Dr. Thomas Dockhorn, Director, Institute of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Braunschweig
- Prof Dr. Aki S. Ruhl, German Environment Agency, Technical University of Berlin
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11:00 am PT | 2 pm ET (1 hour)
WateReuse Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1
High-recovery desalination processes offer the benefit of increasing water recovery, generally with increasing cost and complexity. Reverse osmosis and electrodialysis desalination processes will be reviewed and compared with respect to high-recovery water reuse applications.
Moderator:
Erin Young, R.G.
Hydrogeologist | Water Resources Manager
City of Flagstaff Water Services
eyoung@flagstaffaz.gov | w: (928) 213-2405
Presenter:
Shane Walker, Ph.D., P.E.
Director, Water Resources Center
Professor, Civil, Environmental, & Construction Engineering
Texas Tech University
806-834-0823
Add to Calendar
Please join the Emerging Professionals Committee for a tour of MWD’s Weymouth Water Treatment Plant on November 1, 2023, from 10 am – 12 pm! Tour capacity is limited to 30 people so please RSVP ASAP to reserve your spot at the link here: https://forms.gle/gxGhtcBLVwWMTG1F7
Constructed in 1941, the Weymouth Water Treatment Plant is the first water treatment plant constructed by the MWD and now has a treatment capacity of 520 million gallons per day! Please check out the fact sheet here for more information: water-treatment-plants-fact-sheet-final_web.pdf (mwdh2o.com)
Event Address: 700 Moreno Ave, La Verne, CA 91750
Parking is available on site.
Following the tour, anyone who is hungry is open to join us at In-N-Out Burger:
Restaurant Address: 2098 Foothill Blvd, La Verne, CA 91750
For more information, please contact Seto Cherchian at 714.944.4726 or