Home\News\WateReuse Review\WateReuse Review – January 13, 2020

Washington Update

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.

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House Passes PFAS Legislation that Could Impact Water Recycling Facilities

Late last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 535, the PFAS Action Act, by a vote of 247-159. Twenty-four Republicans joined 223 Democrats in voting for the bill, which mandates a range of new controls on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). One Democrat (Ben McAdams of Utah) opposed the bill. Among its many provisions, the legislation directs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as hazardous under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) within one year. There is no exemption from liability for water or wastewater treatment systems in the legislation, meaning that utilities could be held responsible for cleaning up contaminated sites, despite being a receiver, not a producer, of PFAS. The bill also designates all PFAS as hazardous air pollutants and directs EPA to promulgate primary drinking water standards for PFOA and PFOS within two years.

A number of key amendments were considered on the floor, including a failed amendment by Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX) to strike the directive that EPA designate PFOA and PFOS as hazardous under CERCLA. The House passed an amendment offered by Representatives Chris Pappas (D-NH), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and others, to require EPA to develop effluent standards, pretreatment standards, and water quality criteria for PFAS under the Clean Water Act. This amendment also authorizes $100 million in grant funding per year to publically owned treatment works to implement pretreatment standards.

The Senate is strongly opposed to a number of provisions in H.R. 535, including the provision related to designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous under CERCLA, and is not expected to take it up in the near term. Additionally, the White House has issued a Statement of Administration Policy, noting that the President would likely veto the bill if came before him for his signature.

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Reclamation Awards $1.6 Million for Water Reuse Research

The Bureau of Reclamation announced that it has awarded $1.6 million to four WateReuse Association members to fund Title XVI water reclamation and reuse research studies. When non-federal cost-share contributions are included, these studies will accomplish more than $7.6 million in water reuse research. The four projects selected for funding are:

City of San Diego (California): Demonstrating Innovative Control Strategies for Reverse Osmosis Membrane Degradation and Preserving Water Quality in Potable Reuse Application with Optimized Chloramination Strategies;
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (California): Demonstration of Pathogen Removal through an Alternative Treatment Technology to Treat Non-Nitrified Secondary Effluent for Potable Reuse;
Padre Dam Municipal Water District (California): East County Advanced Water Purification Facilities Preformed Chloramines Research to Ensure California Toxics Rule Compliance; and
City of Norman (Oklahoma): Lake Thunderbird Water Reuse – Field Research Project for Inland Indirect Potable Reuse.

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State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Member!

The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:

City of Leesburg (Florida)
Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation (Wisconsin)

California: WRCA and NWRI Release SOP Guidance Document for Bioassays

WateReuse California (WRCA) and the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) released the first guidance document for developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for bioanalytical testing for potable reuse. This document is intended to assist potable reuse agencies in complying with the bioassay monitoring requirement that will begin in 2020. In 2018, the State Water Board amended the Recycled Water Policy to include bioassay monitoring requirements for indirect potable reuse. View Guidance Document.

California: West Basin and Suez Renew Water Recycling Partnership

WateReuse Association member West Basin Municipal Water District has renewed its contract with SUEZ North America, also a member, to operate and maintain the Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility in El Segundo, CA, and its three satellite plants. The five-year renewal, worth a total of $75 million, began January 1 and runs through the end of 2024. The Edward C. Little facility is one of the largest water recycling operations of its kind in the United States, producing about 40 million gallons of water every day. Read More.

Florida: New Legislation Would Provide $500,000 for Potable Reuse Education

Florida House Bill 2547, introduced by Representative Randy Maggard, makes an appropriations request of $500,000 for WateReuse Florida to implement a statewide education program to help educate the public regarding what is potable reuse and how it can help Florida meet future water demands of the public and environment as an alternative water supply. This appropriation request is in addition to the $250,000 that was granted to WateReuse Association member the Southwest Florida Water Management District for the current fiscal year that is being used to develop a message on potable reuse.

Oregon: Clean Water Services Receives Approval to Provide Purified Water to Commercial Brewers

WateReuse Association member Clean Water Services received approval from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to provide purified water from its mobile treatment facility to commercial brewers and distilleries to produce alcoholic beverages for sale to the general population. The mobile treatment system—known as the Pure Water Wagon—uses a four step process of ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection and advance oxidation to produce high purity drinking water. This decision broadens DEQ’s approval in 2015 to allow home brewers to use this same process in a competition for distribution at trade shows. Read More.

Members Recognized as Influential Women in Water

Water leaders from three WateReuse Association member organizations were presented with the Top 10 Influential Women in Water Award during the inaugural Women of Water Summit, hosted by Mazars USA on Jan 9. Christine Boyle of Xylem, Inc., Nadine Leslie of Suez Water, and Karen Pallansch of Alexandria Renew Enterprises were honored during the ceremony. Pallansch, a WateReuse Association Board member, also joined WateReuse Executive Director Patricia Sinicropi for a panel discussion on water reuse during the summit.

Nadine Leslie of Suez , WateReuse Executive Director Patricia Sinicropi, Karen Pallansch of Alexandria Renew Enterprises, and Jon Freedman of Suez.

WateReuse Customer Communications Tools and Resources

How Can You Offer Recognition to Your Recycled Water Customers? Participate in the Recycled Water User Network

Are you interested in recognizing recycled water customers as community water stewards or offering an incentive for new customers to come onboard? Participate in the Recycled Water User Network, a members-only network for businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations that use recycled water, including customers of water utilities and organizations that recycle water onsite. The network gives businesses, governments and nonprofits that use recycled water the opportunity to receive a green designation, Water Star^TM, and access to information and resources on recycled water. Learn More.

Conferences and Events

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. Submit an Abstract Now!

Register for the WateReuse California Annual Conference by Friday for the Best Rates

WateReuse California will host its 2020 Annual Conference March 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco! Register by Friday, January 17 to take advantage of early bird discounts. The conference includes a comprehensive technical program focused on the design, management, operation, and use of water recycling facilities and projects in California. Register Now!

Upcoming Events

Apr

Wed

WateReuse Pacific Northwest Meeting

Tickets

Apr 15 all-day

Categories: WateReuse Pacific Northwest

Webcast: Breaking Down Implementation Barriers for Onsite Non-Potable Water Systems

Tickets

Apr 15 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Presented in partnership with The Water Research Foundation, this presentation will cover key components of successful onsite non-potable water systems.

Webcast
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern ; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members and WRF Subscribers: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1

Register Now!

Across the nation, onsite non-potable water systems (ONWS) are becoming increasingly common as a means to conserve and recycle water. Ensuring consistent implementation is one of the principal challenges for ONWS programs, particularly when multiple, new stakeholders are involved. Water Research Foundation project 4909 sought to identify key knowledge gaps and provide the resources needed to aid in the smooth implementation of ONWS. Through interaction with the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems, the project team identified common pitfalls that have impacted the design, operation, permitting, and implementation of ONWS.

This presentation will cover key components of a successful ONWS program including: (1) treatment goals that control public health risk, (2) effective design of both treatment and non-treatment (i.e., management) barriers, (3) strategies for effective operation and monitoring of ONWS systems, and (4) frameworks for regulating and permitting ONWS. The goal of this presentation is to convey the importance of stakeholder knowledge for consistent protection of public health at ONWS installations. This information will be presented through a survey of the projects two main deliverables: the comprehensive guidance manual and interactive training modules.

Presenters

Brian Pecson, Ph.D., P.E., Principal Engineer, Trussell Technologies
Brie Post, P.E., Senior Engineer, Trussell Technologies
Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Categories: Featured Webcasts

Apr

Tue

Webcast: America’s Water Infrastructure Act – Implications for Water Reuse and COVID-19

Tickets

Apr 21 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Are water recycling utilities well prepared to address the COVID-19 crisis and other potential future risks?

Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern ; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1

Register Now!

The America’s Water Infrastructure Act (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 (ERP). The RRA’s are part of an overall effort to improve the ability of water systems to prepare for and respond to events from water resource limitations to cyber attacks, from extreme weather to an assault on the utility, and from contamination to treatment and distribution infrastructure, among others. In short, it is an all-hazards approach to managing risk.

This webcast will discuss how water reuse interacts with the RRAs and highlight some the ways that risks are viewed and managed from an AWIA perspective. It will also discuss how we are interpreting and acting upon risk in the midst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and how we can use RRAs to prepare for future risks. This webcast will offer a fresh look at risk and resilience through the lens of preparation and response. The presentation will begin with an overview of AWIA requirements, RRAs, and the role of water reuse in those assessments followed by a focus on risk and risk perceptions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presenters

Dr. Ben Stanford is an Associate Vice President with Hazen and Sawyer in the Denver office where he leads the implementation of innovations in water, wastewater, and water reuse. He is currently leading or supporting over a dozen risk and resilience projects in FL, NC, TX, CO, AZ, and CA.

Dr. Douglas Crawford-Brown is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was Founding Director of the Institute for the Environment, and at the University of Cambridge, where he was Director of the Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research.