
Call for Abstracts: 2020 WateReuse Symposium
Do you have expertise in water reuse? 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

One Week Left to Comment on Draft National Water Reuse Action Plan
FY 2020 Appropriations Cycle Coming to an End?
The current funding extension, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), expires at midnight on December 20. This means that Congress must pass new appropriations legislation—either a full package of new funding levels, or another CR—by that time to avoid a government shutdown. In recent days, top House and Senate negotiators reached agreement on how to divide spending across the twelve appropriations subcommittees. This paves the way for final negotiations on specific programmatic spending levels, including for key water recycling programs. However, Congress has not yet decided whether and to what extent to fund the border wall, an issue which once again threatens to derail the appropriations process.
Save the Date: Join Us for Water Week 2020 to Advance Water Recycling
Make plans to join the WateReuse Association in Washington, DC on April 28-29, 2020 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. It is not only an opportunity to advance policy priorities for the water utilities, including greater federal investment in water infrastructure, but also to celebrate the role these 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.
U.S. EPA Considers Regulating Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Massachusetts District Court Supports EPA’s Clean Water Act Interpretation
State Updates and Member Profiles
California: Orange County to Launch PFAS Pilot Program for Recycled Water
WateReuse Association member the Orange County Water District (OCWD) announced the launch of a pilot program to determine the best treatment methods for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). OCWD has selected Jacobs, Evoqua Water Technologies, and Carollo, all WateReuse members, to design, implement, and evaluate the program. The lab testing will run on OCWD’s pilot test well water supply and on and OCWD’s nine retail water agencies well water sources. Read More.
California: Paso Robles Completes New Recycled Water Plant
WateReuse member the City of Paso Robles celebrated the completion of a new tertiary treatment facility that will provide water to irrigate public areas such as city parks and golf courses. Another WateReuse member, Black & Veatch, designed the project. The facility produces Title 22-compliant recycled water for beneficial reuse. Read More.
Natural Systems Utilities Expands Onsite Reuse Business
WateReuse Association member Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) announced last week that it has acquired Acqualogic/Kanso (Kanso), which currently manages 28 onsite water and wastewater systems in the San Francisco Bay area. NSU’s previous work in the region includes an onsite water reuse system for Microsoft, which is nearing completing. NSU now operates over 270 onsite, community systems across 10 states. Read More.
WateReuse Customer Communications Tools and Resources
Engaging the Public Health Community on Water Reuse? Check out Our Online Resources
Although water reuse is a proven, science-based process that has been used safely in communities around the world for decades, the public is often skeptical when the concept is first introduced into a community. To build acceptance among medical and health professionals, WateReuse has launched the Medical Community Initiative and begun developing resources to support members in engaging with the public health community. Visit our website for videos, articles, and presentations that support engagement with medical professionals. New tools are being developed so check back for updates.
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!
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
Add to Calendar

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