Washington Update
Coalition Releases Statement in Support of Water Recycling and Other Priorities
Last week, a coalition of water sector associations, companies, and organizations, including the WateReuse Association, released a set of joint legislative policy priorities, which will be communicated to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
The document highlights the importance of reauthorizing and funding the Title XVI-WIIN Water Reclamation and Reuse Program and the Alternative Water Source Grants Pilot Program in upcoming legislation. It also calls for the creation of a federal Interagency Working Group of Water Reuse to facilitate coordination of reuse-related activities across federal departments.
Bureau of Reclamation Announces Availability of $20 Million for Water Reuse Projects
On July 10, the Bureau of Reclamation published the 2021 funding opportunity announcement for congressionally authorized Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects. Applications are due on September 10, 2020, at 4 p.m. MDT. Reclamation anticipates that it will award $20 million to 6-10 projects. The recipients must provide at least 75% cost-share. Funding opportunity announcement number BOR-DO-20-F008 is available on grants.gov.
EPA Releases Water Utility COVID-19 Financial Impact Tool
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a tool to help water utilities assess the financial impact of COVID -19 on operations. The tool provides information about the financial and operational health of water utilities. The financial impact tool was developed by the EPA’s Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center. Visit the EPA website to access the Water Utility COVID-19 Financial Impact Tool.
State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Members!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:
California: WateReuse Participates in Conversation with Tom Steyer
California: State Awards $15 million to Water Recycling and Reuse Projects
The California Department of Water Resources has awarded more than $15 million in grant funds to advance several regional water projects in San Diego County, ranging from water recycling and reuse to water conservation.
The San Diego County Water Authority submitted the funding request on behalf of the San Diego Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, a program that aims to improve water resources planning in the region.
The funding supports water recycling projects for several WateReuse Association members including the City of Oceanside, San Elijo Joint Powers Authority, the City of San Diego, and the Fallbrook Public Utility District. Read More.
Florida: New Law Provides $40 Million for Reuse, Mandates Potable Reuse Regulations
Nevada: Water Reclamation Featured in “Nevadans at Work” Video Series
Last week, the Clark County Water Reclamation District’s water recycling facility was profiled in the video series, “Nevadans at Work.” The facility recycles water for irrigation and cooling electrical plants. In the video, wastewater operator Gilbert Cruz leads a tour of the facility and discusses the treatment processes and technologies used. Watch here.
Research Update
WRF Names Trussell Technologies as Lead Researcher for COVID-19 Study
The Water Research Foundation announced that Trussell Technologies will lead the project Interlaboratory and Methods Assessment of the SAWS-CoV-3 Genetic Signal in Wastewater (project 5089). The project will gather information from over sixty U.S.-based laboratories and thirty laboratories outside the U.S. to provide an assessment of the methods currently used at laboratories and facilities to find reliable methods of measurement of the SAR-CoV-2 genetic signal. Read More.
WateReuse Communications Tools and Resources
Need to Illustrate the Value of Water Reuse Investment? Use Our Flyer and Infographic
Utilities must make a compelling case to ratepayers, policymakers, and other stakeholders that investment in water recycling is the right decision. Use our flyer and infographic to illustrate that Investment in water reuse builds communities that are modern, sustainable and stable—ready for families to flourish and businesses to grow. The infographic highlights examples of recycled water from coast to coast and documents the value they bring.
Conferences and Events
Upcoming Events

- Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva, Project Manager, Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin
- 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
Our next Bimonthly Member Meeting will be held in-person on Tuesday, October 10th at Rowland Water District, 3021 Fullerton Road, Rowland Heights, CA 91748. Lunch will begin at 11:00 a.m., and the formal meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. There will also be an option to participate in the meeting virtually. A Zoom meeting registration link will be sent out with the agenda about one week prior.
Whether you plan to attend in person or via Zoom, please RSVP by Friday, October 6th by filling out the form at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/itWNqv2xh9. Please indicate if you plan on joining for lunch as well as the formal meeting so that we may get an accurate count. This meeting will have a capacity limit of 35 people.

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