2019 Annual Report Details New Partnerships and Strategic Growth
In 2019, the WateReuse Association built new partnerships and strengthened existing ones to engage our members and the public in a national movement for safe and sustainable water supplies. Highlights from the year include a new three-year strategic plan, developing policy recommendations for the National Water Reuse Action Plan, a record-breaking Annual WateReuse Symposium, a new collaboration with the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems, and successful advocacy on Capitol Hill. Read the 2019 Annual Report to learn more.
Washington Update
WateReuse Advocates for Increased Funding for Water Recycling in FY 2021; Member Engagement Requested
Watch On Demand: Water Reuse Action Plan Webcast Presents Implementation Details
The WateReuse Association hosted a webcast last Wednesday that provided an inside look at the recently released National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP), an EPA facilitated effort to accelerate the adoption of water reuse across the United States. EPA partnered with other governmental and non-governmental water sector organizations throughout the process, including WateReuse. Staff from EPA described the plan, its genesis, and plans for implementation. View the recording.
Be an Advocate for Reuse: Join Us for National Water Policy Fly-In
Make plans to join the WateReuse Association in Washington, DC April 27-28 for the National Water Policy Fly-In during Water Week 2020. Presented jointly by WateReuse, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Water Environment Federation, and the Water Research Foundation, the Fly-In includes networking, education, and Capitol Hill visits to advocate on behalf of water utilities. Water Week is an opportunity to advance policy priorities, including greater federal investment in water infrastructure, and a celebration of the role utilities play in communities nationwide. WateReuse encourages our members to participate so that we can ensure that recycled water is an integral part of the Water Week message. Register today to reserve your space.
State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Members!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:
California: Diablo Water and Ironhouse Sanitary Pursue Potable Reuse Program
The Diablo Water District and the Ironhouse Sanitary District have partnered to study the potential for water recycling in Oakley, including an indirect potable reuse project. A federal bill, H.R.5302, co-authored by Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and introduced at the end of 2019, could provide up to $5 million toward the design, planning and construction of the infrastructure necessary for the project. A grant from the California State Water Resources Control Board is funding half the cost of the current study of potable reuse options. Read More.
Florida: Sarasota to Recharge Groundwater with Reclaimed Water
Sarasota County has begun construction on a project that will upgrade the 12-million-gallon-per-day Bee Ridge Water Treatment facility to an 18-million-gallon advanced treatment facility. The project includes the drilling of two aquifer recharge wells, which will be used to replenish groundwater and prevent saltwater intrusion. The project is estimated to cost $157 million and is expected to be completed at the end of 2025. Read More.
WateReuse Communications Tools and Resources
Understanding Potable Reuse: New Video Targets Public Health and Medical Community
The WateReuse Association released a new video, Understanding Potable Reuse: A Safe and Sustainable Supply, which discusses the proven, science-based treatment processes that are used safely in communities around the world. In the video, experts from academia, public health, and utilities discuss the value of engaging with the medical community and including discussions of water in public health education. The video was produced as part of the WateReuse Public Health and Medical Community Initiative.
Conferences and Events
2020 WateReuse California Conference Postponed Due to Covid-19 Outbreak
In light of the recent state of emergency in California, San Francisco, and its surrounding counties due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the WateReuse California and WateReuse Association Boards of Directors have made the difficult decision to postpone the 2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference, which was scheduled for March 15-17. A joint WateReuse California/WateReuse Association board working group has been established to consider options for a future and will provide a status report by March 20. Learn More.
Webcast: Effective PFAS Treatment: Challenges and Solutions for Potable Reuse
Join us on March 25 at 2 pm ET to learn about the latest science on effective treatment for PFAS. This webcast focuses on the fate of PFAS in recycled water destined for potable reuse, and will include results from different advanced treatment processes ranging from bench-scale evaluations to permanent potable reuse treatment demonstration projects. The data illustrate important considerations during treatment selection, design, and operation to meet PFAS treatment goals. Register Now!
Upcoming Events
Launching June 24 -25
Don’t Miss the FIRST EVER WateReuse California virtual conference!
Join us for an easy to navigate, virtual conference experience.This is MORE than just a Replacement Event for the March 2020 Conference, this is an opportunity for our community to stand TOGETHER in these unprecedented times to recognize the good work we do and share ideas for the future. The WateReuse California virtual conference will be available online until July 31, 2020.
Join Us!
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Pacific | 2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
With many communities facing wastewater discharge limits for nutrients or temperature in Pacific Northwest waterways, reuse offers a water quality compliance strategy that can create wastewater, habitat and watershed benefits. This webcast will showcase two examples of how water reuse is being examined to address nutrient and thermal loading in marine and river water sources.
We will learn how water reuse is being looked at by the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies (BACWA) in the San Francisco Bay area to reduce nutrient loading to the estuary through a coordinated multi-utility assessment. With many parallels to Puget Sound in Washington State, BACWA’s planning can provide some ideas for how reuse might be part of the nutrient reduction plan for Puget Sound and other nutrient impaired waterways.
We will then shift attention to Western Oregon to hear from Clean Water Services in the Portland region. Clean Water Services has a long track-record of investing in innovative solutions to TMDLs. We will learn reuse is being examined to help their utility comply with thermal discharge limits.
Presenters
- Dave Clark, Senior Vice President, Wastewater Market Sector Director, HDR Engineering
- Jared Kinnear, Reuse Manager, Clean Water Services
- Susan Schlangen, Engineer, Water Systems Consulting
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Join Us!
2:00 – 3:15 pm Eastern | 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Lake Lanier is a major source of water supply to the North Georgia region. Many communities surrounding Lake Lanier rely on it for both discharge of effluent as well as their sourcewater for drinking purposes. This practice, known as indirect potable reuse or surface water augmentation, provides a sustainable water supply solution for the region’s growing population. Specifically, in Gwinnett County, Georgia, the majority of the county’s 56 MGD of treated wastewater is discharged to the Lake, which is also the primary drinking water source. This transformation of wastewater into a valuable supply of sourcewater requires careful planning, monitoring, and protection of Lake Lanier.
While there have been various water research projects and planning efforts implemented throughout the Lake Lanier Watershed in the past, there does not exist a centralized coordinated plan that documents, facilitates, and coordinates an approach to developing the ideation, planning, prioritization, management, resourcing, and funding of applied water research projects.
In response to this identified need, The Water Tower, the new global innovation hub in Gwinnett County, Georgia, is leading the effort to create a forum through which stakeholders and researchers will work together to develop a Lake Lanier Watershed Research Master Plan. The Plan will provide a multi-year research roadmap of project concepts to address critical needs in the Lake Lanier Watershed. Funding for prioritized projects will be crowdsourced among the stakeholders and the be the focus of nonprofit, public and private grant applications. The research projects will be competitively bid, with regional and international third party technical expert oversight, and managed by The Water Tower, a 501c3 focused on research and innovation.
Presenters
- Kristan VandenHeuvel, Strategic Director of Research and Engagement, The Water Tower
- Steve Leo, Client Service Manager, Constantine Engineering
- Jeff Mosher, Principal Technologist, Carollo Engineers
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WateReuse Arizona Section Meeting & Webinar
10 am PDT | 10 am MST | 1 pm EDT
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 2
Arizona’s water managers and policy makers have long touted the practice of using treated wastewater in many areas of the state and putting it to beneficial use. However, every community uses effluent differently depending on their community’s needs, history, and make-up the other sources of their water resources portfolio. Differences range from the size and locations of their reclaimed purple pipe system, to recharge facilities for Long Term Storage Credits, to exchange agreements, and the next horizon of DPR. What kind of investments are communities making to secure their water future using effluent? How and why are there differences and similarities between these communities. This panel discussion aims at asking how communities from Northern to Southern Arizona, and from East to West Valley use treated effluent as a component of their water resources portfolio.
Panel Members
- Brian Biesemeyer, City of Scottsdale
- Eric Braun, Town of Gilbert
- Barbara Chappell, City of Goodyear
- Kathryn Sorensen, City of Phoenix
- Tim Thomure, City of Tucson
- Erin Young, City of Flagstaff
Moderators
- Troy Walker
- Gretchen Baumgardner
Panel Outline
| START TIME | END TIME | DURATION | TOTAL | Description |
| 10:00 AM | 10:05 AM | 0:05 | 0:05 | Moderator Introduction to Webinar and panelist |
| 10:05 AM | 11:05 AM | 1:00 | 1:05 | Each Panelist gives a brief (10 min) presentation on their effluent uses and how that equates to their water resources portfolio |
| 11:05 AM | 11:25 AM | 0:20 | 1:25 | Q&A |
| 11:25 AM | 11:40 AM | 0:15 | 1:40 | Audience Q&A |
| 11:40 AM | 11:50 AM | 0:10 | 1:50 | Panelist each give a closing remark |
| 11:50 AM | 11:55 AM | 0:05 | 1:55 | Moderator closes panel discussion |
Questions
- Are there plans to build additional infrastructure to increase or change the way your organization uses its effluent?
- What hurdles to you see do drive that infrastructure investment, if any?
- How important do you see effluent as being a portion of your water resources portfolio? Does it play a significant role in planning for the future?
- What role has getting public buy-in to developing reuse projects?
- Regarding buy-in from your organization’s leadership as well.
- In looking back over your organization’s history, and hindsight is always 20/20, but can you talk about lessons learned or are there things about how the way your organization uses its effluent you would change if you could go back, knowing what you know now?
- Are there currently any regulatory hurdles that are preventing greater use of recycled water?
- In 2019 the prohibition for Direct Potable Reuse was lifted. What are your thoughts about the viability of this for your organization?
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Join Us!
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Pacific | 2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1.5
Join us as we learn how water reuse is being reimagined and employed in different ways and scales. We will hear from the Portland Water Bureau regarding decentralized on-site non-potable water reuse to address water resource challenges for the City of Portland. Chris Wanner is a commissioner of the National Blue Ribbon Commission on On-site Non-Potable Reuse and will discuss how Portland’s efforts fit into the Commission’s work on advancing on-site non-potable water reuse. We will then shift attention to a smaller community in the Pacific Northwest, the City of Hagerman, Idaho, to learn how they transitioned from discharging to the river to recycling their water and putting it to good use.
Presenters
- Chris Wanner, Portland Water Bureau
- Dan Ayers, JUB Engineers
- Justin Hulme, Public Works Superintendent, City of Hagerman, ID
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