Home\News\WateReuse Review\WateReuse Review – July 29, 2019

Need to Finance a Water Reuse Project? Register for the 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium to Learn How

Looking for creative ways to finance your water recycling program? Register for the 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium, September 8-11 in San Diego, to learn how federal grants and loans, public–private partnerships, and other unique collaborations can move your project across the finish line.

Federal water agency officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Army Corps of Engineers will present in multiple sessions and answer your questions on how federal programs can help you launch or expand a water reuse project.

Learn how partnerships that include local agencies, state and federal agencies, and private business have created win-win projects that meet water management needs, offer security to business, and create economic opportunity. From public utilities collaborating with businesses to making the case for businesses to invest in onsite reuse systems, the Annual WateReuse Symposium provides case studies that serve as a blueprint on how you can get creative with project financing.

If you need to get up to speed quickly on more than just project financing, the Annual WateReuse Symposium opens with the Water Reuse 101 Workshop – an afternoon of sessions that will provide you with an introduction or refresher on the key elements of planning, operating, and managing a water reuse program. Spend Sunday afternoon with a group of experienced practitioners that will cover the ABCs of water recycling.

The Annual WateReuse Symposium is the premier conference devoted to water reuse policy, technology, research, and innovation. Advance registration ends August 23 so make your plans today.

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Washington Update

Budget Deal Paves the Way for Water Reuse Program Funding

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a two-year budget deal that raises overall discretionary spending caps and will allow Congress to proceed with the FY 2020 appropriations process. The bill also extends the suspension of the federal debt limit. The Senate is expected to take up and pass the bill later this week. Once that happens, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) will hand down funding allocations to each of the Senate appropriations subcommittees, including the Energy and Water Subcommittee and the Interior-Environment Subcommittee, which fund the Bureau of Reclamation and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), respectively. Those Subcommittees are expected to begin work on their bills over the August recess, and will likely move quickly to mark them up once Members of Congress return in September. The caps agreed to in the two-year budget deal, while significantly higher than the caps that would have gone into effect in the absence of a deal, are lower than the “placeholder” caps that the House of Representatives used when writing its recently passed FY 2020 spending bills. This means that the House will have to re-write those spending bills with a smaller pot of money at its disposal. Decisions about how the money will be divvied up across federal programs are likely to be made behind closed doors.

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Three Water Recycling Bills Introduced

Three new pieces of legislation aim to advance water recycling. First, last week, the House of Representatives passed the Energy and Water Integration Act of 2019 (H.R. 34), which is being led by Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Frank Lucas (R-OK). The bill directs the U.S. Department of Energy to integrate water considerations, including water reuse, into its energy research, development, and demonstration programs and projects. Second, Representatives Mike Levin (D-CA) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) introduced the Desalination Development Act (H.R. 3723), which provides $260 million over five years for desalination projects through the Bureau of Reclamation. Lastly, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Representatives Dan Kildee (D-MI) and Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) introduced the Water Justice Act, which authorizes a lump sum of $500 million for the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Competitive Grants Program. The bill also authorizes $500 million per year for the Alternative Water Source Grant Program, which, if funded, would be administered by EPA.

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State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Members!

The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:

California: SFPUC Launches Its Larges Onsite Water Reuse Project

WateReuse Association member San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) last week celebrated the launch of its largest onsite water reuse project, which will divert foundation drainage from an underground rail station and recycle it to provide steam heat for 180 downtown buildings. Supported in part by a $500,000 grant from SFPUC, Clearway Energy constructed a 1,000-foot pipeline and installed an onsite water treatment system to treat the water to a quality suitable for use in a district steam heating system. The system reduces Clearway Energy’s water consumption by 30 million gallons per year. Read More.

Association Update

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.

Research Update

New Potable Reuse Research Addresses Priority Issues

The Water Research Foundation released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop a Potable Reuse Demonstration Design & Reuse Communication Toolbox and announced that it will soon release RFPs for six new water reuse research projects that will be co-funded by the California State Water Resources Control Board and contributors to the Advancing Potable Reuse Initiative. The topics for the six upcoming RFPs include pathogen log removal, real-time collection system monitoring, blending water sources, UV/chlorine advanced oxidation process, antibiotic resistance, and managed aquifer recharge.

Conferences and Events

Upcoming Events

Dec

Thu

Orange County Chapter Meeting @ TBD

Tickets

Dec 19 all-day

Categories: Orange County Chapter WateReuse California

Integrating Onsite Water Reuse with Centralized Treatment Systems

Tickets

Dec 19 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Webcast
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern ; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
Fee: WateReue & AWE Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1

Register Now!

Can onsite water reuse systems be successfully integrated with a community’s centralized treatment system? New legislation is being adopted around the country to remove barriers to onsite water reuse and communities like San Francisco are leading the way in demonstrating how onsite non-potable water systems can supplement centralized treatment and extend water supplies. This presentation will discuss important lessons learned in San Francisco, which has been requiring onsite water reuse in new large developments for seven years. You will also learn how model legislation developed by the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems is being adopted across the country to encourage the use of alternative water supplies. The presentation will also provide a preview of the National Blue Ribbon Commission’s new training manual for onsite reuse, which will be released in early 2020, and discuss future research priorities aimed at advancing more widespread adoption of onsite non-potable water systems.

Moderator:
Mary Ann Dickinson
President and CEO
Alliance for Water Efficiency

Presenter:
Paula Kehoe
Director of Water Resources
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Categories: Webcasts

Jan

Wed

National Advocacy Opportunities for Water Reuse in 2020

Tickets

Jan 8 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

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

Register Now!

Congress enters 2020 with the next Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) in its sights. Hearings and discussions have begun in earnest within the committees of jurisdiction in both the House and Senate. A number of important bills that were introduced or debated in 2019 may see further consideration in 2020 in the context of development of the next WRDA. At the same time, the Trump Administration will release its FY 2021 budget request as early as February, prompting Congress to launch the FY 2021 appropriations cycle.

Please join us January 8 at 2 p.m. ET for a webcast with Washington insiders to examine what’s on the congressional agenda for 2020 and how you can position your utility or company to have a voice at the table. Top Washington water sector lobbyists will discuss the status of key legislation and explain the opportunities to advance a water reuse policy agenda. Whether you plan to travel to Washington for Water Week in the Spring or are just interested in what to expect from Congress in 2020, this webcast will be a national advocacy primer for water professionals.

Presenters

Moderator:
Greg Fogel, Policy Director, WateReuse Association

Mia O’Connell, President, O’Connell & Dempsey, LLC
Mia’s focus for three decades has been in the water resource and environment arenas. Mia has focused her efforts for her public agency and water clients on Corps of Engineers, EPA and Department of Interior projects. Mia works with the Corps in the flood protection, ecosystem restoration, navigation and water supply areas.

Geoff Bowman, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates
Having spent large parts of two decades as a staff member on the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Geoff Bowman offers clients an insider’s perspective on the policy, players, and politics involved in those issues.

Categories: Webcasts

Jan

Thu

Central Valley/Sierra Foothills Chapter Meeting

Tickets

Jan 16 all-day

Categories: Central Valley/Sierra Foothills Chapter WateReuse California

Feb

Tue

Los Angeles Chapter Meeting

Tickets

Feb 11 all-day

Categories: Los Angeles WateReuse California

Mar

Sun

2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference @ Hyatt Regency San Francisco

Tickets

Mar 15 @ 8:00 am – Mar 17 @ 5:00 pm

The Annual WateReuse California Conference brings together utilities, businesses, policymakers, and large water users from across the state to examine the latest issues and technologies in water recycling.

Categories: Conferences Featured WateReuse California

Apr

Fri

Central Valley/Sierra Foothills Chapter Meeting

Tickets

Apr 24 all-day

Categories: Central Valley/Sierra Foothills Chapter WateReuse California

May

Mon

2020 WateReuse Pacific Northwest Conference @ Brightwater Center

Tickets

May 18 – May 20 all-day

Mark your calendars for May 19-20, 2020 for the WateReuse Pacific Northwest annual conference. This year’s conference will be held at King County’s Brightwater Center, an environmental education and event center located on the Brightwater Treatment Plant campus. An impressive conference program is being planned featuring innovative reuse projects, research, education and community outreach, new regulatory directions and an operator session tailored to reuse facility operations.