Register for the 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium by June 21 to receive the best rates on the premier conference devoted to water recycling. Join us September 8- 11 in San Diego for a robust program covering innovations in centralized municipal systems, trends in decentralized reuse, and case studies on industry, agriculture, and the expansion of reuse into new geographic regions. Plenary sessions will explore the broader policy and planning issues that will shape the future of water recycling. 

Journalist Peter Annin’s keynote presentation, From Water Diversion to Water Reuse: Tackling Scarcity in the 21st Century, will discuss America’s history of diverting water from one watershed to another for human use and the benefits of selecting water recycling instead. EPA Administrator for Water, Dave Ross, will also join us for the rollout of the National Water Reuse Action Plan. The Symposium begins with Sunday tours of local water recycling facilities and includes fun networking events daily.

Last week, the WateReuse Association, in partnership with the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the agency’s interpretation of whether discharges into groundwater should be subject to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements. NPDES permits are currently required under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for discharges of pollutants from point sources to surface water. In short, EPA’s Interpretive Statement states that groundwater discharges are categorically excluded from CWA permitting requirements. WateReuse agrees with EPA and urges a clear separation of the regulation of surface water discharges and groundwater discharges. The issue is particularly relevant to any water reuse projects that involve percolation or underground injection for aquifer recharge, protection against land subsidence or saltwater intrusion, and any other purposes.