Washington Update
U.S. EPA Prioritizes Water Recycling Projects in Water Infrastructure Funding
Trump Administration Announces Finalized Rule on the National Environmental Policy Act
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released a comprehensive update to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the first time in over 40 years. The final rule updated regulations applying to the development of infrastructure projects, the management of activities on federal lands, and environmental restoration. NEPA was signed into law by President Richard Nixon and requires federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of proposed projects before they are approved. Read CEQ’s Press Release. Read final rule.
State Updates and Member Profiles
California: San Diego County Advances Water Recycling with $115 Million in Incentives
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California announced that it is providing $115 million in incentives to San Diego County that will increase water recycling to 5.2 billion gallons annually. The funding will be provided to San Diego County Water Authority and its project partners for purified water produced by East County Advanced Water Purification Project and the Escondido Filtration Reverse Osmosis Facility. The purified water will be both conveyed to Lake Jennings and used for agricultural irrigation. Project partners include the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, Helix Water District, and City of Escondido.
Read More.
California: Los Angeles is One Step Closer to Recycling 100% of Treated Water
The City of Los Angeles broke ground on the Hyperion Membrane Bioreator (MBR) Pilot Facility with a virtual celebration. The pilot facility will test MBRs from three different manufacturers for one year, as part of the larger 15-year effort to transform Hyperion into a Zero Wasted Water Production Facility by 2035. The pilot is a joint effort between LA Sanitation & Environment, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the West Basin Municipal Water District.
Read More.
Member Spotlight: Local Agriculture is Critical to EMWD’s Nationally Recognized Water Program
Farmers are using recycled water to meet irrigation needs and stay in business in Riverside County, California. Paul Jones, General Manager of Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), discussed EMWD’s recycled water program and partnerships with the agricultural community in a recent blog post. EMWD recycles 100 percent of water produced at its water reclamation facilities. Read More.
Member Spotlight: Nanostone Water Announces New Appointment
Nanostone Water recently announced that Jonathan Pressdee has been named Executive Vice President of Global Business Development. Pressdee has 30 years of experience in the water industry, including more than 20 years in senior management positions with firms such as AECOM and Black & Veatch. Read More.
WateReuse Communications Tools and Resources
Use WateReuse Connect to Learn and Exchange Ideas with Peers
In this time of social distancing, opportunities for peer-to-peer networking are more important than ever. WateReuse members can use WateReuse Connect to access a member-to-member network of more than 7,000 water recycling practitioners, business leaders, regulators, academics, and technology providers. Recent discussion topics have included innovative partnerships, scheduling of recycled water deliveries, downstream flows, and COVID-19. Post your questions, observations, and unique challenges on our online platform to benefit from the unique experiences of other members across the nation and around the world. It’s simple to use with your member login information. For help accessing WateReuse Connect, please email Member Services.
Conferences and Events
Reaching New Heights in Water Reuse: Register for the 35th Annual WateReuse Virtual Symposium
Learn about the latest developments in water recycling at the 35th Annual WateReuse Virtual Symposium, launching online September 14-16, 2020 using a virtual event platform that offers attendees, sponsors, exhibitors and presenters an experience very close to the experience of an in-person event.
Participate in the Annual WateReuse Symposium from any location and at your convenience—view presentations, chat with colleagues, and browse the exhibit hall. Join us for an in-depth look at the technology, policy, and research innovations that have propelled water reuse to new prominence as a water management strategy. Register today!
Upcoming Events
The WateReuse San Diego Chapter will meet on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. This meeting will be in person at Vallecitos Water District’s administrative building in San Marcos, followed by a tour of the Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility.
Our presentations will include updates from Vallecitos WD, Fallbrook Public Utility District, and an update on the Direct Potable Reuse regulations. We look forward to seeing you all there!
*Important Information: Please note that while we will be meeting at Vallecitos headquarters, people wishing to attend the tour will need to drive to Meadowlark WRF after the meeting. A map is included on page 2 of the agenda below.
Host and Sponsor TBD.

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
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