Home\News\WateReuse Review\WateReuse Review – March 18, 2019

March 18, 2019

Washington Update

Bureau of Reclamation Announces $35 Million for Water Recycling Projects

The Bureau of Reclamation published a $35 million funding opportunity for the sponsors of congressionally authorized Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse projects to request cost-shared funding for the planning, design, and/or construction of those projects. The funding opportunity is available at www.grants.gov by searching for funding opportunity number BOR-DO-19-F007. Applications are due on April 22, 2019.

This funding opportunity is only open to sponsors of the 53 congressional authorized Title XVI projects, provided that the Title XVI Project has not reached its federal funding ceiling as specified in the Title XVI Act. A separate funding opportunity for Title XVI projects eligible under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (Title XVI WINN) will be released later in the fiscal year.

Show less

Join Us in Washington, DC for the National Water Policy Fly-In, Register Today

Register for the National Water Policy Fly-In, April 3-4, in Washington, DC. The National Water Policy Fly-In is the anchor event of Water Week 2019 and brings together the nation’s water sector to speak with one voice to Congress and the Administration. The agenda includes a plenary session on U.S. EPA Water Priorities and federal agency roundtables at the Hyatt Regency Washington, as well as congressional office visits. With a new Congress in place, your attendance and engagement are more critical than ever. WateReuse urges members to join us in Washington DC to ensure that the water reuse message is an integral part of the Water Week message. A webcast recorded March 14 provides tips to help you prepare for your visit.

Building upon the momentum of major advocacy wins in 2018— including the bipartisan passage of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act that incorporated key provisions beneficial to water recycling —and the significant potential for congressional focus on infrastructure during the next session, it is crucial that policymakers hear directly from you about the specific challenges to your utility and community. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to press for the water sector’s main priorities, and educate policymakers even more about the benefits of water reuse.

Water Week 2019 will communicate the direct value of water for economic development, job creation, public health and a sustainable environment. Make your plans to participate in this special week, and join us as we elevate water as a powerful national priority!

Contact WateReuse Policy Director Greg Fogel with questions about Water Week and the National Water Policy Fly-In.

Show less

New Legislation Would Extend Term for NPDES Permits

On Thursday, March 14, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1764, a bill to extend the maximum term for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued under the federal Clean Water Act from 5 to 10 years, to better reflect the construction schedules for public agencies. The bill is cosponsored by Congressmen Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Rob Woodall (R-GA). WateReuse recently joined with other water sector groups to deliver a letter of support for the legislation.

Modern wastewater treatment often involves substantial investment of capital with construction terms that stretch out beyond the existing five-year permit term horizon. The authority to extend NPDES permit terms up to a fixed period of ten years would better reflect today’s clean water infrastructure reality by enhancing the planning and efficiency of facility permitting, giving agencies the necessary time to comply with existing regulatory requirements prior to the imposition of new mandates, and allowing states to direct more resources to stormwater, nonpoint and watershed-based solutions.

Show less

State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Members!

The WateReuse Association welcomes the following news members:

Association Update

Missed a Recent WateReuse Webcast? Watch the Recording

The WateReuse Association and its partners presented three webcasts last week on topics ranging from industrial reuse opportunities and seawater desalination to preparation for the National Water Policy Fly-In on April 3-4 in Washington, DC. To watch a recorded webcast, select an event below:

Conferences and Events

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.

Bureau of Reclamation Stakeholder Meeting to Include Recycled Water Funding Discussion

The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation will host an interactive stakeholder’s workshop, April 16-17, at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado. In addition to sharing what Reclamation and DOI are doing with programs such as the Title XVI water reuse program, the hosts will seek input on how they can improve their program. To learn more and RSVP for the event, click here.

Conference Examines Mission Oriented Communications at Utilities

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) will host 2019 Strategic Communications: H2O, June 3-4 in Cleveland, Ohio to help clean water utilities create proactive communications platforms. Participants will share expert strategies, action plans and peer-to-peer solutions to improve your platform and reap the benefits of becoming part of the nationwide network of clean water communicators. Learn More.

Upcoming Events

Apr

Wed

WateReuse Pacific Northwest Meeting

Tickets

Apr 15 all-day

Categories: WateReuse Pacific Northwest

Webcast: Breaking Down Implementation Barriers for Onsite Non-Potable Water Systems

Tickets

Apr 15 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Presented in partnership with The Water Research Foundation, this presentation will cover key components of successful onsite non-potable water systems.

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

Register Now!

Across the nation, onsite non-potable water systems (ONWS) are becoming increasingly common as a means to conserve and recycle water. Ensuring consistent implementation is one of the principal challenges for ONWS programs, particularly when multiple, new stakeholders are involved. Water Research Foundation project 4909 sought to identify key knowledge gaps and provide the resources needed to aid in the smooth implementation of ONWS. Through interaction with the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems, the project team identified common pitfalls that have impacted the design, operation, permitting, and implementation of ONWS.

This presentation will cover key components of a successful ONWS program including: (1) treatment goals that control public health risk, (2) effective design of both treatment and non-treatment (i.e., management) barriers, (3) strategies for effective operation and monitoring of ONWS systems, and (4) frameworks for regulating and permitting ONWS. The goal of this presentation is to convey the importance of stakeholder knowledge for consistent protection of public health at ONWS installations. This information will be presented through a survey of the projects two main deliverables: the comprehensive guidance manual and interactive training modules.

Presenters

Brian Pecson, Ph.D., P.E., Principal Engineer, Trussell Technologies
Brie Post, P.E., Senior Engineer, Trussell Technologies
Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Categories: Featured Webcasts

Apr

Tue

Webcast: America’s Water Infrastructure Act – Implications for Water Reuse and COVID-19

Tickets

Apr 21 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Are water recycling utilities well prepared to address the COVID-19 crisis and other potential future risks?

Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern ; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1

Register Now!

The America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) requires all utilities serving 3,300 or more people to complete a risk and resilience assessment (RRA) for their water systems, followed by the completion of an emergency response plan (ERP). The RRA’s are part of an overall effort to improve the ability of water systems to prepare for and respond to events from water resource limitations to cyber attacks, from extreme weather to an assault on the utility, and from contamination to treatment and distribution infrastructure, among others. In short, it is an all-hazards approach to managing risk.

This webcast will discuss how water reuse interacts with the RRAs and highlight some the ways that risks are viewed and managed from an AWIA perspective. It will also discuss how we are interpreting and acting upon risk in the midst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and how we can use RRAs to prepare for future risks. This webcast will offer a fresh look at risk and resilience through the lens of preparation and response. The presentation will begin with an overview of AWIA requirements, RRAs, and the role of water reuse in those assessments followed by a focus on risk and risk perceptions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presenters

Dr. Ben Stanford is an Associate Vice President with Hazen and Sawyer in the Denver office where he leads the implementation of innovations in water, wastewater, and water reuse. He is currently leading or supporting over a dozen risk and resilience projects in FL, NC, TX, CO, AZ, and CA.

Dr. Douglas Crawford-Brown is Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was Founding Director of the Institute for the Environment, and at the University of Cambridge, where he was Director of the Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research.