March 12, 2019
Washington Update
Administration Proposes Cuts to Water Reuse Funding
House Bill Reauthorizes EPA Water Recycling Program, Clean Water SRF
Join Us in Washington, DC for the National Water Policy Fly-In, Register Today
Advocacy Action Needed! Ask Your Member of Congress to Support Investments in Water Reuse
Congressional Hearing Discusses Funding for Water Infrastructure, Including Reuse
State Updates and Member Spotlight
California: Commentary Explains Why Reuse Makes More Sense than Importing Water
A commentary published last week by Robert Glennon, a university professor and author, praises the work that California is doing in increasing the amount of water it reuses and reducing its reliance on imported water. Southern California traditionally imports water from the Sierra Nevada, the Colorado River or elsewhere to augment what is available locally, which can be expensive and face environmental objections. Glennon argues that the recent announcement from Los Angeles that it has set an aspirational goal to recycle all of its wastewater by 2035 demonstrates California is discovering that wastewater has incredible value. Read More.
California: Olivenhain Converts HOA to Recycled Water
WateReuse Association member Olivenhain Municipal Water District (OMWD) is providing recycled water to the Del Rayo Downs Homeowner Association (HOA) in Rancho Santa Fe. OMWD is working with large irrigators on the benefits of retrofitting their irrigation systems for recycled water use including schools, homeowner associations and golf courses. Del Ray Downs’ conversion to recycled water enables the HOA to save money on its monthly water bill while decreasing costly imported water demands by approximately 16.5 acre-feet annually. Read More.
Oklahoma: Bartlesville Moves Forward with First Water Reuse Project
WateReuse Association member Tetra Tech has been contracted to begin designing the first water reuse project for City of Bartlesville, including a water reuse pump station, pipeline, and renovation of the water intake structure located on the Caney River. The design work will be completed by February 2020. In 2001, the area experienced a sustained drought where there were only six months of water remaining in Hulah Lake, which triggered a number of studies. The community currently pumps 7 million gallons of treated effluent into the Carney River. Under the proposal, half of the effluent would be diverted for reuse. Read More.
Virginia: Hampton Roads Aquifer Recharge Project Gets Stricter Oversight
Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation that establishes the Potomac Aquifer Recharge Oversight Committee to monitor Hampton Roads Sanitation District’s (HRSD) plan to refill the Potomac Aquifer with purified water. The 10-person advisory committee is required to meet at least quarterly during its first three years of existence, and HRSD would fund the committee during that time. The legislation also creates the Potomac Aquifer Recharge Monitoring Laboratory under the direction of faculty from two Virginia universities. The lab will monitor the project’s effect on the aquifer, manage test data, and conduct testing and analysis of the water. HRSD plans to build the program’s first full-scale treatment facility by the end of 2023. Read More.
Research Update
U.S. Faces Fresh Water Shortages Will Create a Driver for Increased Reuse
The pressures of climate change and population growth could cause water shortages in most of the United States, according to preliminary government-backed research. As many as 96 water basins out of the 204 supplying most of the country with freshwater could fail to meet monthly demand starting in 2071, a team of scientists said in the journal Earth’s Future. Water shortages would result from increased demand by a growing population, as well shrinking rainfall totals and greater evaporation caused by global warming. Read More.
Association Update
WateReuse Association Celebrates 2018 Milestones in Annual Report
In 2018, the WateReuse Association expanded membership, increased outreach, and strengthened advocacy to meet a growing interest in water recycling, as illustrated in the 2018 Annual Report. There were notable successes at the national level and within state sections, including popular events and successful engagement with regulators and legislators. The association also engaged in strategic partnerships to extend its reach of education and advocacy priorities. To learn more, read the 2018 Annual Report.
Conferences and Events
Webcast: What are the Best Opportunities for Industrial Water Reuse?
Please join us on March 13 at 2 pm eastern to learn which industries are investing in water reuse and in what ways. Learn about new data from Bluefield Research that will reveal reuse strategies for key industries, drivers for investment in reuse, the best geographic opportunities for industrial reuse, how industries are collaborating with municipalities, and more. Register Now!
Webcast: Advancing the Seawater Desalination Knowledge Base
Please join us on March 14 at 3 p.m. eastern to learn about the latest advancements in seawater desalination via reverse osmosis. Presented in partnership with The Water Research Foundation, this webcast will discuss two recent studies that explore advancements in seawater desalination from pretreatment to integration of desalinated water into water systems. Register Now!
Save the Date: 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium in San Diego, California
Mark your calendar for the 34th Annual WateReuse Symposium is in San Diego, California on September 8-11, 2019. This year’s theme is “Collaborate to Innovate.” We will showcase recycled water collaborations among utilities, farmers, and industry; regulators working together at both the state and federal level; sustainability; public/private partnerships; and, for the first time, the latest in reuse research led by the Water Research Foundation. Learn More.
Upcoming Events

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
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
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