Washington Update
WateReuse Association Urges Investment in Water Recycling Projects in COVID-19 Stimulus Package
EPA Urges States to Identify Water and Wastewater Workers as Essential Workers in COVID-19 Response
On Friday, March 27, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent a letter to governors in all 50 states, territories, and Washington, DC requesting that water and wastewater workers be considered essential workers by state authorities when enacting restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. The request extends to manufacturers and suppliers who provide vital services and materials to the water sector. Administrator Wheeler’s letter notes that our critical water infrastructure and its operators ensure the safe supply of water to our homes and hospitals, and depend on treatment chemicals, laboratory supplies and related goods and materials.
Federal Agencies Provide Guidance on Water and COVID-19
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are providing guidance to water professionals and the public on water transmission and COVID-19. There is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus survives the disinfection process for drinking water, wastewater, and recycled water, according to the CDC. No COVID-19–specific protections, beyond routine practices to prevent exposure to wastewater, are recommended for employees involved in wastewater management operations. Some WateReuse members, including the Dublin San Ramon Services District and El Dorado Irrigation District in California, are including information about the safety of recycled water in their COVID-19 messaging.
State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Member!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new member:
- Clackamas County (OR)
Arizona: Tucson’s Recycled Water Recharge Facility Will Double as Desert Park
WateReuse Association member Tucson Water is developing an $8 million recycled water recharge project that will double as a desert park. When the South Houghton Area Recharge Project opens this fall, Tucson Water plans to start recharging 4,000 acre-feet of reclaimed water there annually into three basins. The 40-acre site will be landscaped with a mesquite bosque and 1,500 other desert plants. Read More.
Virginia: Virginia WaterHub® Celebrates 100 Million Gallons of Recycled Water Used
The Virginia WaterHub®, which recycles water onsite at an industrial campus in Richmond, celebrated 100 million gallons of recycled water use for World Water Day. Developed by WateReuse Association member Sustainable Water and H2O Innovation, the facility treats nearly 500,000 gallons of water per day for cooling towers using a membrane bioreactor and reverse osmosis technology. The project began operating nine months ago. Read more.
WateReuse Update
New Policy and Program Manager, Aliza Furneaux, Joins WateReuse Team
Aliza Furneaux joined the WateReuse Association staff on March 23 as the new Policy and Program Manager. Aliza comes to us from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she served as an ORISE Research Fellow supporting the development of the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP). In her new role on the WateReuse staff, she will support the implementation of WateReuse-led WRAP actions and assist in developing new programming and educational content for members. Aliza earned a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering at Lafayette College and her master’s in environmental engineering at University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. As a graduate research assistant, her research focused on phosphorous management from water resource recovery facilities under Dr. Roland Cusick. She looks forward to supporting the WateReuse Association and its members in her new role. Aliza can be reached via email at afurneaux@watereuse.org and you may connect with her on LinkedIn.
WateReuse Communications Tools and Resources
Engaging the Public Health Community on Water Reuse? Check out Our Online Resources
Although water reuse is a proven, science-based process that has been used safely in communities around the world for decades, the public is often skeptical when the concept is first introduced into a community. To build acceptance among medical and health professionals, WateReuse has launched the Medical Community Initiative and begun developing resources to support members in engaging with the public health community. Visit our website for videos, articles, and presentations that support engagement with medical professionals. New tools are being developed so check back for updates.
Conferences and Events
ICYMI: Effective PFAS Treatment: Challenges and Solutions for Potable Reuse
Eva Steinle-Darling, Vice President and Reuse Innovation Lead with Carollo Engineers, presented the latest research on effective PFAS treatment for potable reuse during a March 25 webcast. She shared her expertise in navigating the ever-evolving regulatory landscape and potential treatment options for advanced water treatment facilities with and without reverse osmosis. Eva provided additional insight through an extensive Q & A session. A recording of the webcast is available to members. Watch Now!
Webcast: Breaking Down Implementation Barriers for Onsite Non-Potable Water Systems
What are the key components of a successful onsite non-potable water system? Join us April 15 at 2 pm to learn about a Water Research Foundation guidance manual and interactive training modules to tackle critical knowledge gaps businesses and utilities. The presentation will cover treatment goals, effective design, strategies for effective operation and monitoring, and regulatory and permitting frameworks. Register Now!
Upcoming Events
WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
Join Us!
11:00 am – 1:30 pm PT | 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET
Fee: Free
This webinar is hosted jointly by this year’s Water Week Water Association Partners and will provide attendees the opportunity to hear directly from key EPA officials and Members of Congress on the important regulatory and legislative water policies they are working on now and in the years ahead.
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Join us for a lively discussion with leaders from across the water sector about the future of water reuse and its importance as a tool to address the impacts of climate change and meet local water demands.
Please join us for a free webinar on April 29, 2021, from 2:00 to 3:30 PM EDT to celebrate the first year of the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP), including accomplishments of action leaders and partners and anticipated 2021 outcomes.
The Resilience through Collaboration: First Year Highlights and Future Directions of the National Water Reuse Action Plan webcast will feature remarks from Radhika Fox (EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Water), Felicia Marcus (William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Water in the West Program), and a roundtable discussion with WRAP action leaders and partners and other water reuse practitioners from around the United States. This event is hosted by EPA in collaboration with the WateReuse Association and other water sector partners.
The roundtable panelists include:
- Gilbert Trejo, El Paso Water, WateReuse President (moderator)
- Pinar Balci, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
- Mike Markus, Orange County Water District
- Melissa Klembara, U.S. Department of Energy
- Brandi Honeycutt, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment
- Paula Kehoe, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Chair of the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems
The WRAP collaborative was launched on February 27, 2020 with federal, state, tribal, local, and private sector partners to build technical, financial, and institutional capacity to spur further consideration and implementation of water reuse across the country. The story of the WRAP’s first year of implementation is one of incredible dedication and determination by a growing community of over 100 different organizations. The WRAP collaborative has enabled the formation of new action-based partnerships across the water community to help address local water resource challenges through holistic thinking and integrated efforts to ultimately strengthen our Nation’s water security, sustainability, and resilience.
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Join May Wu, Principal Environmental System Scientist with Argonne National Laboratory, for a webcast on the role of water reuse in bioenergy production.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
WateReuse Members: Free | Others: $49
Production of bioenergy from a range of feedstocks and biorefining pathways requires a substantial amount of water for irrigation, conversion process, cooling, and steam generation. Because the feedstock varies with climate and soil regions, an increased production will have implications in the availability of regional and local freshwater resources across the U.S. It is critical to understand how fit-for-purpose water recycling can be used to conserve freshwater.
This webcast presents findings from an Argonne National laboratory analyses of potential recycled water use to produce biofuels from conventional crops and algae and generate power by incorporating technology, climate, and geospatial-temporal components. Findings suggest a significant potential of producing advanced biofuel while doubling the amount of recycled water in use nationally. Results from this project support informed decision-making and strategic planning for water sustainable bioenergy development.
Presenter
May Wu is a principal environmental system scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. Her research interests are water resource use, water quality, and wastewater management in the production of biofuels and conventional energy.
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WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
WateReuse Pacific Northwest State Workshop Series
Save the date! More information to come soon.
Learn how digital platforms that include artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to improve asset management strategies and operational efficiencies.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT | 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm ET
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
In this webcast, our presenters will introduce how digital platforms that include artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can be used to improve asset management strategies and operational efficiencies, as well as enhance source control, validate unit process performance, predict product water quality and make sound decisions for assessing suitability of product water for human consumption.
The data collected from pilot and full-scale potable reuse treatment trains have been used to develop artificial neuron networks as part of an ML platform. The platform clearly demonstrates that ML can be used to predict, for example, the product water total organic carbon (TOC) concentration of a pilot advanced treatment facility and the specific fluxes on the third stage of a full-scale advanced treatment facility as the feed quality and operating conditions are changed.
The methodology used and model outputs will be discussed during the webcast. The presenters will also examine how we can couple AI/ML concepts with the Internet of Things (IoT) and next generation of the SCADA systems to operate and maintain assets efficiently while significantly enhancing public and regulatory confidence in potable reuse projects.
Presenters
- Ufuk Erdal, Arcadis
- Jim Cooper, Arcadis
- Raluca Constantinescu, Arcadis
- Ozan Erdal, University of Washington
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