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June 18, 2018

33rd Annual WateReuse Symposium: Quenching Our Thirst: Potable Reuse Track Provides Latest Learning and Information on What’s Happening Across the Country

Register today and take advantage of the Early Bird registration rates for the 33rd Annual WateReuse Symposium, September 9-12, at the JW Marriott in Austin, Texas. Learn “What’s Working, What’s New, and What’s Next” in water reuse, and specifically on how water recycling can meet your drinking water needs. A track focused on potable reuse, titled “Quenching Our Thirst: Reuse for Drinking Water,” will provide a comprehensive, four day learning experience covering community engagement, source control, aquifer recharge, reservoir augmentation, best practices, case studies, regulatory issues, and more. And hear from Astronaut Captain Scott Kelly about his year long experience in quenching his thirst with recycled water. The Symposium also includes policy-focused plenary discussions with utility and business leaders, facility tours and technical presentations on other key water recycling issues.

Be sure to register for the Symposium by Friday, July 27 to take advantage of early-bird discounts!

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Washington Update

Senate Committee Advances EPA Spending Bill

On June 14, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously voted to advance the Senate Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill for floor consideration. The bill provides level funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at $8.06 billion. The State Revolving Funds (SRFs) received a slight increase in funding with $1.69 billion for the Clean Water SRF, an $113,000 increase from the last fiscal year, and $1.164 billion for the Drinking Water SRF, a $767,000 boost. The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan program is funded at $63 million, the same level as FY18, of which $55 million is provided for direct loan subsidization to leverage $6 billion in loans. The committee encourages EPA to prioritize WIFIA applications for projects that address lead and emerging contaminants, including PFOA and PFAS.

The Senate and House funding bills for EPA have now both passed out of committee. However, consideration of these bills on the floor could be pushed into 2019 as it is widely speculated that a continuing resolution will be enacted due to the upcoming elections in the fall.

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Senate Committee Discusses Bill Expanding WIFIA to Reclamation

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing on June 13 discussing draft legislation that would expand the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan program to include Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) water projects. This discussion draft would use the existing WIFIA program established at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to select Reclamation projects rather than standing up a separate WIFIA program at Reclamation. This would reduce duplication of efforts and resources by utilizing EPA’s existing expertise on WIFIA, similar to other proposed legislation that aims to establish the U.S. Army Corps WIFIA program through the EPA program (H.R. 4492, S. 2329).

Tim Petty, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Department of the Interior, was the sole witness at the hearing. Although the agency cannot support discussion drafts, he spoke positively about the concept and expressed desire to continue working with Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) in developing the draft. He stated that due to Reclamation’s limited resources, an additional financing mechanism like WIFIA could be beneficial in advancing the Reclamation’s mission to increase water supply in the arid West. He also stated that a WIFIA program could be particularly helpful in cases where Reclamation project titles are transferred to local non-federal entities (another topic discussed at the hearing) as these programs seek to improve and update their infrastructure. Petty provided more extensive input on the discussion draft in his written testimony.

The discussion draft specifically lists water reuse, desalination, and groundwater replenishment projects as eligible projects. WIFIA loans for projects under Reclamation’s jurisdiction would be authorized $2 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 to implement the program with authorizations increasing to $22 million from FY20-23 and $23 million in FY24.

Much development and discussion remains on this bill and it will not be introduced as legislation this year. With Sen. Flake retiring at the end of the session, Sen. Cortez Masto will have to find another Republican cosponsor next Congress.

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Waters of the United States Rule Faces Another Hurdle

On June 8, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia granted an injunction that effectively nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) controversial “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule. This rule was developed by the EPA during President Obama’s administration in an effort to define what waters are under federal jurisdiction. There was widespread opposition to the rule by states and industry leading to lawsuits across the country. Many utilities that recycle water are also concerned about WOTUS due to the potential implications it has for permitting of recycled water facilities. This court injunction applies to eleven states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. However, this has no immediate effect as the rule has been on hold by EPA under Administrator Scott Pruitt for two years while it attempts to rewrite the rule. If the effort to rewrite the rule is not completed in two years, the injunction will continue to block the rule in the eleven states.
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State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Members!

The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:

California: WateReuse California Joins Operator Certification Program

The WateReuse California (WRCA) Board of Trustees recently contributed $25,000 to the Advanced Water Treatment (AWT) Operator Certification Program, which is being developed by the CA-NV Section of the American Water Works Association and the CA Water Environment Association. WRCA believes an AWT Operator Certificate Program will help increase public confidence in potable water reuse. The California State Water Resources Control Board recommended an AWT Operator Certification Program in its 2016 Direct Potable Reuse report to the California Legislature. For information about WRCA’s involvement in this effort, please contact Charles LaSalle.

California: Construction Progresses on Treatment Facilities in Paso Robles

WateReuse Association member the City of Paso Robles is building new tertiary treatment facilities, with 60 percent of the construction now completed. These facilities will produce recycled water for irrigation that will help solve the problem of declining groundwater levels. The facilities will also enable the city to comply with more strict requirements for release of treated water to the Salinas River. The project will be complete and in operation by Jan. 2019. Read More.

Florida: SWFWMD to Co-Fund Reclaimed Water Master Plan for Hernando County

WateReuse Association member the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) is co-funding a new Reclaimed Water Master Plan for the Hernando County Utility that will provide ecological benefit and cost-effective use of the water. Several options are under consideration for the future of reclaimed water in the county that include aquifer recharge, irrigation, and agriculture. Read More.

Wisconsin: Paper Mill Partners with Local Utility to Build Reclaimed Water System

Green Bay Packaging announced plans to partner with NEW Water, Green Bay’s local metropolitan water treatment facility, to construct a reclaimed water system at a new $500 million paper mill that will use recycled water for production and not discharge any wastewater back into the environment. The new facility will replace a 71-year-old plant, allow the company to double production, and add 200 new full-time jobs. Groundbreaking is scheduled for September 2018. Read More.

 

Association News

Dallas-Fort Worth Utilities Discuss Water Reuse with WRA Executive Director

On May 31, several leading water utilities serving the Dallas-Fort Worth region convened for a meet-and-greet with WateReuse Executive Director Patricia Sinicropi to discuss water reuse in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and its future growth as the region prepares to confront greater demand on its water supplies over the next two decades. Tarrant Regional Water District hosted the meeting which included executives from North Texas Municipal Water District, Trinity River Authority of Texas, City of Fort Worth, City of Dallas, City of Witchita Falls, and City of Euliss. WateReuse Texas and Alan Plummer Associates organized the visit that included a tour of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center and East Fork Water Reuse Project, which recycles water for the North Texas Municipal Water District. The utilities engaged in a morning-long discussion with Sinicropi about how the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex region, encompassing 13 counties and nearly 7.5 million people, anticipates a growing reliance on water recycling and how the WateReuse Association might support these efforts.

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2018 Awards for Excellence in Water Reuse: Nominations Due June 27

The WateReuse Association is accepting nominations for the 2018 Awards for Excellence in Water Reuse through Wednesday, June 27. The WateReuse Awards for Excellence celebrate communities, businesses, public-private partnerships, non-profit organizations and individuals that are making significant contributions toward advancing the adoption of water reuse in their community or elsewhere. The award categories have been modernized to showcase and celebrate the wide range of innovative ways in which water reuse is being deployed across the country, and the individuals and organizations leading these efforts. Learn More.

 

Conferences and Events

Webcast: From Collection System to Tap: Designing Direct Potable Reuse Systems for Resilience

How can you build a potable reuse system that runs without disruption and gives you the ability to respond to and recover from issues quickly? Join us on Wednesday, July 11 at 2 pm EDT to learn about a new Water Research Foundation report that provides direct potable reuse (DPR) resilience guidance essential for any utility planning, designing or considering a DPR system. The webcast will discuss DPR resilience techniques at each stage from wastewater source control through wastewater treatment, advanced water treatment, and distribution. The presenters will also discuss application of risk assessment methods to aid decision makers in evaluating resilience enhancing alternatives and identifying alternatives associated with the maximum risk reduction per triple bottom cost — people, plant and profit. Register Now.

 Upcoming Events

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Agenda
March – September 2020 Mar – Sep 2020
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Mar
15
Sun
2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference @ Hyatt Regency San Francisco
Tickets
Mar 15 @ 8:00 am – Mar 17 @ 5:00 pm
2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference @ Hyatt Regency San Francisco | San Francisco | California | United States

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.

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Categories: Conferences Featured WateReuse California
May
18
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.

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Categories: Conferences WateReuse Pacific Northwest
Jul
20
Mon
9th Annual Water Reuse in Texas Conference: Extending our Water Frontier @ Embassy Suites
Tickets
Jul 20 – Jul 21 all-day

WateReuse Texas, Water Environment Association of Texas, and Texas American Water Works Association invite you to the 9th Annual Water Reuse in Texas Conference: Extending our Water Frontier, July 20-21, 2020 at the Embassy Suites in Frisco, Texas. The program will present the latest on operations, financing, planning, and water quality. Pat Sinicropi, Executive Director of WateReuse Association, will provide a keynote discussion on the future of water reuse, Texas’ role as a reuse pioneer, and EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan. There also opportunities to exhibit and sponsor. Save the date! Registration will open January 2020.

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Categories: Conferences WateReuse Texas
Sep
13
Sun
35th Annual WateReuse Symposium @ Hilton Denver City Center
Tickets
Sep 13 – Sep 16 all-day
35th Annual WateReuse Symposium @ Hilton Denver City Center

The Annual WateReuse Symposium is the nation’s premier conference on water recycling and the only conference dedicated solely to water reuse laws, policy, funding, research, technology, and public acceptance.

Save the Date!

35th Annual WateReuse Symposium
Hilton Denver City Center
Denver, Colorado
September 13-16. 2020

Call for Abstracts coming soon!

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Categories: Conferences Featured
March – September 2020 Mar – Sep 2020

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WateReuse is the only trade association that focuses solely on advancing laws, policy and funding to increase water reuse. Our niche strategy sets us apart from other organizations in the water industry.

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