March 26, 2018
Washington Update
Significant Funding Increases for Key Water Reuse Infrastructure Financing in FY18 Omnibus
Bureau of Reclamation Releases Updated Title XVI Evaluation Criteria
Senate Committee Discusses Western Water Challenges
Make Plans for Water Week in April
State Updates and Member Spotlight
California: Aerospace Manufacturer Partners with City to Treat and Reuse Industrial Wastewater
UTC Aerospace Systems held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, March 20 for its first U.S.-based water recycling initiative at its manufacturing facility in Santa Fe Springs. Developed in partnership with the state of California and the local municipal water district, the project will flow site-generated industrial wastewater to a city treatment facility, which will return the treated water UTC Aerospace for use in manufacturing carbon friction material utilized in civil and military aircraft brakes. The project reduces the facility’s use of the community’s drinking water by 25 million gallons per year. Learn More.
California: New Natural Resources Headquarters to Include Water Recycling
The State of California will begin construction this summer on a new 838,000-square-foot headquarters for the Department of Natural Resources. The property is designed to meet LEED Platinum and zero-net energy standards, with such features as radiant floor heating and mechanical chilled sails, as well as recycled water systems. The building is expected to use at least 50 percent less water than a typical, comparable office building. The downtown Sacramento office development carries a project cost of approximately $597 million. Learn More.
California: Western Municipal Completes Recycled Water Pipeline
WateReuse Association member the Western Municipal Water District is celebrating the completion of the Meridian Recycled Water Pipeline project, which provides 32 million gallons recycled water annually for irrigation. The recycled water transmission pipeline is about two and a half miles long. As part of the project, 112 commercial and landscape meters were inventoried and inspected, of which 40 meters were converted. Learn More.
California: Researchers Find Consumers Prefer the Taste of Purified Water Over Tap Water
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, recently published a study of recycled water that did not focus on its safety—which has long been established—but rather its taste. The study included 143 people, who were asked to compare purified recycled water with conventional tap water and commercially bottled water in a blind taste test. At the outset, researchers hypothesized the three waters would score equally. However, tap water emerged as the least preferred. Learn More.
Florida: Naples Considers Expanding Recycled Water Program
Naples is considering spending up to $20 million to expand its water-recycling program to support a growing population. The local utility is recommending an initial investment of $1.2 million to construct a pipeline connecting additional customers to the current recycled water supply. City staff is working on a financial plan for the project. Learn More.
Idaho: Sugar Company Seeks to Continue Agricultural Reuse
WateReuse Association member the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comment through April 18 on a draft water-reuse permit renewal for the Amalgamated Sugar Company of Twin Falls. The permit will authorize the company to continue operating a wastewater treatment facility and reuse system for another five years. It will allow recycled water to be used to irrigate agricultural fields and the conditional use of condensate wastewater for dust suppression. Learn More.
Nevada: Water Innovation Campus Receives Funding from Utilities
The Truckee Meadows Water Authority approved $172,707 on March 21 to support the new Nevada Water Innovation Campus and water reuse pilot testing operations. Washoe County, Reno, Sparks and the Western Regional Water Commission also plan to help fund the innovation campus, which will study the feasibility of expanding water recycling locally. The initiative will help the partners with the assembly, start-up, and optimization of advanced water treatment technologies. A regional indirect potable reuse feasibility study is also part of the plan. Learn More.
Conferences and Events
Austin: Live Music and the Location of the 33rd Annual WateReuse Symposium
It’s not too early to start planning your trip to the 33rd Annual WateReuse Symposium on September 9 – 12, 2018 in Austin, Texas. To make the most of your trip, combine learning with live music. During the day, learn what’s working, what’s new, and what’s next at the premier conference on all things water reuse. At night, enjoy live music at one of 250 venues across the city, which earned Austin the reputation as the “live music capital of the world.” Whether it’s rock, country, or blues, Austin offers up the music you love to listen to. Learn More.
Webcast: Water Recycling and Wet Weather Management
Please join us on April 12 at 2 p.m. EDT for a webcast showcasing successful urban and suburban-based decentralized water recycling installations in the Northeastern United States. You will learn about the decentralized water recycling revolution occurring in and around cities located in wetter regions, including why these cities are turning to decentralized water reuse and how your city can integrate decentralized water recycling systems into your overall wastewater and wet weather management strategy. If you are a wastewater utility manager facing challenging weather conditions and population growth, this webcast is for you. Learn More.
Register for the Pacific Northwest WateReuse Conference
WateReuse Pacific Northwest will host a conference May 17-18 in Portland, Oregon with the theme “Roadmap to Reuse.” More than 200 utility operators and mangers, elected officials, engineers, regulators and equipment manufacturers are expected to attend. Presentations will focus on feasibility studies, regulatory updates, public outreach, funding, and more. Learn More.
Upcoming Events
Santa Monica Institute Meeting Room
330 Olympic Drive
Santa Monica, CA 90401
- Lunch will begin at 11:00 a.m. Thank you to our lunch sponsor, Woodard & Curran.
- The formal meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. Parking is available in the Civic Center Parking Structure above the meeting room.
- A tour of the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project (SWIP) will follow the formal meeting, starting at 1:15 p.m. Please wear closed-toed shoes.
- 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, December 1st by filling out the form at this link: https://forms.office.com/r/6B7UknVNmz. Please indicate if you plan on joining for lunch, the formal meeting, and/or the tour, so that we may get an accurate count. This meeting will have a capacity limit of 50 people.
Save the date for our December chapter meeting!
Please save the date for our last chapter meeting of the year on Thursday, December 7 at 3 p.m. This meeting will be held in person at the San Diego County Water Authority in Kearny Mesa, followed by a happy hour at Khan’s Cave
The meeting will include a presentation from Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District on their recycled water project, 2024 officer elections, regulatory updates, and more! We look forward to seeing you all there.
Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information coming soon.
Friday, December 8, 2023
11:00 am to 2:00 pm ET (Remote)

11 am PT | 2 pm ET (1 hour)
WateReuse Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1
With water supply limitations driven by factors such as population growth, urbanization, and climate change, along with more stringent regulatory requirements for wastewater discharges, direct or indirect potable reuse is becoming increasingly essential to address water resiliency issues. Carbon Based Advanced Treatment (CBAT) has increasingly been adopted as a treatment solution to treat municipal effluent to provide a safe, reliable augmentation of drinking water supplies.
CBAT involves the use of biologically activated carbon (BAC) usually with ozone, followed by granular activated carbon (GAC) to achieve advanced treatment of water. It may also include flocculation/sedimentation and UV disinfection. Join a panel of experts to explore the various combinations of this process, and get updates on key case studies using CBAT for potable reuse.
Moderator:
TBD
Speakers:
- Andrew Newbold, Principal Engineer, Hazen & Sawyer
- Gaya Ram Mohan, PhD, PE, Environmental Engineer, Hazen & Sayer
- Erik Rosenfeldt, PhD, PE, National Drinking Water Practice Leader, Hazen & Sawyer

10:00 am PT | 1 pm ET (1 hour)
WateReuse Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Across the country, more and more communities are exploring reuse as part of a larger water management strategy. But even the best public projects live and die by community acceptance, and history has shown this is doubly true for water reuse projects. Community engagement is a vital element to designing and launching plans that will create lasting impact. Community engagement is not, however, a one-size-fits-all endeavor. What motivates communities in Seattle will not be the same as Boise, or rural Oregon. In this webinar, we will discuss the importance of localizing a communications and engagement strategy to reflect the values, culture and drivers of each specific community. We will look at two Pacific Northwest case studies from Boise and the WateReuse Oregon Subcommittee that demonstrate effective, local engagement approaches.
Moderator:
Holly Tichenor, Management Consulting National Practice Leader, Brown and Caldwell, WateReuse PNW Board President
Presenters:
- Natalie Monro, Communications Coordinator, City of Bellingham, WateReuse PNW Board VP
- Haley Falconer, Environmental Division Senior Manager, City of Boise
- Jared Kinnear, Reuse Program Manager, Clean Water Services