
Resilience Redefined: Registration Is Open for the 36th Annual WateReuse Symposium – Reserve Your Spot Today
Washington Update

WateReuse Welcomes New Congress

President-Elect Biden Announces EPA, CEQ, Interior and Climate Nominations

National Water Reuse Action Plan Quarterly Update Showcases Three New Actions
State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Member!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new member:
- Donala Water and Sanitation District (Colorado)

Section Update: WRCA Co-Edits Special Issue of Clean Water Focused on DPR
In a special issue of Clean Water magazine released last week, experts discuss direct potable reuse (DPR) as part of California’s water future. The publication reports on an Expert Panel guiding DPR regulatory development, the research that is helping to fill in information gaps, and the innovative DPR projects leading the way. The special issue was edited in collaboration with WateReuse California (WRCA) and includes a special message from Guest Editor Jennifer West, WRCA’s Managing Director. Clean Water is the publication of the California Water Environment Association. Read more.
California: Farmers Benefit from Central Contra Costa’s Recycled Water
CoCo San Sustainable Farm in Martinez, California is a farm for the community built on reclaimed land and utilizing reclaimed water. The farm is situated on sanitary buffer land owned by the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District. The 15-acre property is irrigated with reclaimed water that farmer Carolyn Phinney boasts is nutrient rich, safe, free, abundant, and the secret to her healthy, high-yielding plants. The water used at the farm was previously discharged into the nearby Suisun Bay and demonstrates the effective reuse of water that is essential to California’s water security. Read more.
Florida: Reclaimed Water Revives Local Park and Wildlife Habitat
The recently opened Ocala Wetland Recharge Park is performing triple duty as a peaceful oasis for visitors, a wildlife habitat, and a conduit for restoring depleted groundwater supplies – thanks to three million gallons of reclaimed water piped in each day from the City of Ocala. As reclaimed water moves through the park, plants and microorganisms treat it further before it seeps into the Upper Floridian Aquifer, which is the primary supply of drinking water for most of north central Florida. A former golf course, the land was already piped for reclaimed water, making it an ideal location for the park. Read more.
Research Update
New Tool Developed to Assess Groundwater Extraction and Land Subsidence
Researchers with the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain, funded by UNESCO, developed a map that models potential land subsidence from groundwater extraction across the world. The map is free of charge and intended for use by authorities and water managers that manage water basins and need to anticipate areas of concern. Predictions of land subsidence are important for arid regions across the world, particularly in places where aquifer pumping is a regular practice. Read more.
Researchers Develop New Water Purification System
Researchers at the University of Maine and Harvard are developing low-cost microfluidic water purification systems that they hope to prototype into portable pulsed-electric-field sterilization systems. This low-cost pulsed electric field kills bacteria, parasites, and viruses using a series of microfluidic channels to expose the water to the electric field. The design eliminates the need for filters in common membrane filtration treatments used to purify water. Read more.
Member Resources and Benefits
Need Information about Agricultural Reuse? Check Out Our Online Resources
Recycled water provides a cost-effective and resilient water supply for agriculture across the U.S. WateReuse has developed a new web page that collects examples, research, and helpful links to connect you with information about agricultural water reuse. Visit our website for videos, articles, and case studies. New information is being developed so check back for updates.
Conferences, Webcasts and Events
Webcast: Water Reuse Policy in the 117th Congress and Biden Administration
January 27, 2021
11 am PT | 2 pm ET
January 2021 marks the beginning of both a new administration in the White House and a new Congress. While Congress passed a number of key pieces of legislation in the final days of 2020, much work remains to be done, including the reauthorization of important water recycling programs. At the same time, the Biden Administration is coming in with an ambitious agenda related to climate change, the environment, and infrastructure, among other issues.
Please join us for a webcast with Washington insiders to examine what’s on the congressional agenda for 2021 and what water-related priorities the Biden Administration is likely to push in its first year. Top Washington water sector lobbyists will discuss the status of key legislation and explain the opportunities to advance a water reuse policy agenda.
Webcast: Communicating about Potable Reuse and Public Health –Tools for Success
February 17, 2021
11 am PT | 2 pm ET
As more communities face water quantity challenges, water reuse is a viable option to expand drinking water sources. The practice of treating wastewater to be used for potable water is sometimes met with skepticism. 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.
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. 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.
Upcoming Events
Stakeholder meeting for pending changes to TCEQ Chapter 217 relating to reclaimed wastewater collection systems. View the advocacy updates article for more details, or visit the Wastewater System Design Criteria Stakeholder Group for the proposed changes and future meeting announcements.
Friday, June 9, 2023
11:00 am to 2:00 pm ET (Remote)
More info TBD