Member Survey: Provide Your Feedback on WateReuse Advocacy, Communications, and Technical Programming!
Have you completed the WateReuse Association member survey? If not, please take a few moments now to help us ensure our advocacy, communications, and technical programming reflect our members’ priorities and continue to provide value to you during the pandemic and beyond. It is important that we hear from you so that we can better support you. Take the survey now!
Washington Update
Senate EPW Committee Approves Significant Water Recycling Investments
Congress Begins Discussions on Next Round of Stimulus Funding
This week the U.S. House of Representatives begins work to develop a nearly $2 trillion stimulus package, referred to as CARES 2. The package is intended to build upon the $2.2 trillion CARES Act, signed into law March 27. Democratic leaders have suggested the legislation will include billions to expand coronavirus testing, unemployment benefits, small business loans, and aid for state and local governments, including potential funding for water, wastewater and water recycling utilities. Congress aims to address medical and economic impacts of the coronavirus. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), however, has suggested a “pause” in emergency aid.
Bureau of Reclamation Makes Funding Available for Water Reuse Treatment Technologies
Last week, the Bureau of Reclamation’s Desalination and Water Purification Research Program announced the availability of up to $1 million in funding for innovative and cost-effective new water treatment technologies. Reclamation will fund the development of technologies that provide reductions in costs, energy use, or environmental impacts in treating impaired or unusable water for beneficial use, brackish groundwater, and seawater. Also eligible are technologies that improve the efficiency of the water treatment process, such as in pre-treatment, post-treatment, monitoring, and sensors. The funding opportunity is available at www.grants.gov by searching for funding opportunity number BOR-DO-20-F014. Applications are due by June 17, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. MDT. Selected applicants will be invited to participate in the “pitch” event on September 24 – 25, 2020.
Water Security Grand Challenge: U.S. Department of Energy Prizes Offer $1 Million for Water Reuse and $9 million for Desalination
The Department of Energy’s Water Security Grand Challenge is making funding available for water reuse and desalination to advance safe, secure, and affordable water. The Water Resource Recovery prize offers up to $1 million in cash prizes and is designed to develop innovative, cutting-edge water treatment technology system configurations and business plans that will help lower the ultimate cost of water recycling. Submissions are due May 28, 2020. The $9 million American-Made Challenges: Solar Desalination Prize is designed to accelerate the development of low-cost desalination systems that use solar-thermal power to produce clean drinking water from salt water. Submissions are due July 1, 2020.
State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Members!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:
California: Santa Monica and Morro Bay Award Reuse Design-Build Projects to H2O Innovation
WateReuse Association members the City of Santa Monica and the City of Morro Bay have awarded design-build projects to H2O Innovation. The Santa Monica indirect potable reuse project will treat up to 0.6 MGD for groundwater recharge. The Morro Bay water reuse system will treat 0.9 MGD for non-potable applications. Read More.
North Carolina: Stakeholder Group Explores Stormwater Capture and Recharge for Flood Protection
The Pew Charitable Trusts and the North Carolina Coastal Federation have set up a stakeholder engagement process that is looking at capturing stormwater to allow groundwater recharge through natural filtration and provide flood protection. The workgroup aims to find nature-based solutions to lower North Carolina’s flood risk. Several strategies can be used to allow stormwater to filter into the ground via roads, agricultural and forest land, and residential or commercial sites, which could reduce runoff by 48-99%. Read More.
California: Students Win Grand Prize in Cal Water H20 Challenge with Rainwater Recycling Project
A sixth grade class from Hoover Elementary in Stockton won the grand prize in the 2020 Cal Water H20 Challenge with a project to recycle harvested rainwater to offset potable water use at school. The students earned $3,500 for their classroom, $1,000 scholarship each, and $100 gift card for each student. California Water Service Group, the North American Association for Environmental Education, and DoGoodery team up annually to issue the Cal Water H2O Challenge for 4-6 grades classrooms across California. Read More.
Water Reuse Systems Gain Popularity in Laundry Operations
The laundry industry has been shifting its focus to environmentally conscious practices that lower costs, and water reuse technologies help the industry achieve both goals. Water recycling can reduce water and sewer utility bills for many operations. In addition, water reuse treatment systems help ensure compliance for facilities. Read More.
Member Spotlight: Black & Veatch CEO Discusses COVID-19 Impacts on Global Operations
In a letter to clients, Black & Veatch CEO Steve Edwards discusses how the company is adapting and innovating during these unprecedented times. Black & Veatch continues forging ahead taking precautions to ensure minimal impact on employees and clients. Read More.
WateReuse Communications Tools and Resources
Profiles in Reuse: Flyer Explains Safety and Reliability of Potable Reuse
Use our flyer, Profiles in Reuse: Potable Reuse, to inform ratepayers, elected officials, and other stakeholders about the safety and reliability of using purified water as part of the drinking water supply. The flyer also supports WateReuse’s Medical Community Initiative, which seeks to build support for potable reuse among medical and public health officials. This flyer is the first in a series of Profiles in Reuse that will serve as resources for member communication on water recycling. Download Flyer.
Conferences and Events
Webcast: Digital Water Applications for System Reliability in Water Reuse Systems
Presented by Champion Sponsor: Black & Veatch
In today’s water reuse systems, it’s more important than ever to have the ability to monitor total system performance from anywhere at any time. Join us on May 13 at 2 pm to learn about the latest digital water applications to ensure system reliability. The ability to implement digital water solutions in the form of connected monitoring, controls, and predictive analytics tools, especially in the form an integrated “digital twin” is invaluable to ensure reliability and continuous surveillance. Register Now.
Webcast: Creating the Water Workforce of the Future
Utility leaders are embracing the opportunity to develop a more diverse workforce that is representative of the communities they serve. Please join the U.S. EPA, WateReuse Association, and other partners on June 23 at 1:30 pm ET to learn how two communities are benefiting from their commitment to diversity in the workforce. Jennifer Zuchowski from Metropolitan Council Environmental Services in St. Paul, Minnesota will describe various diversity programs underway to train and hire women electricians. Howard Carter and Stacy Thompson from the Saco Maine Wastewater Treatment Plant in Saco, Maine will describe how focusing on employee development has enabled their organization to attract and retain a diverse workforce. Register Now.
Register for the 2020 WateReuse California Virtual Conference
Join WateReuse California for an easy to navigate, virtual conference experience beginning June 24-25 from the comfort of your office or home office. The conference will include more than 50 technical presentations with audience Q&A and handouts, live and interactive panel discussions, an interactive sponsor and exhibitor hall, and a virtual cocktail party reception. Kristin Peer, Deputy Secretary and Special Counsel for Water Policy at Cal EPA will give a keynote presentation on COVID-19 Challenges and California’s Water Resilience Portfolio. Sessions will be presented on June 24 and June 25 and continue to be available for viewing until July 31, 2020. Register Now.
Upcoming Events
- Water reuse student booklet (will be completed September 2020)
- New training guides for educators and parents (can be water reuse specific)
- Individual lessons for students (digital and print)
- Online training programs (educators, students, parents)
- Water education website for children DiscoverWater.org
Presenters
- Morgan Close, VP of Projects and Programs, Project WET
- Julia Beck, VP of Networks, Project WET
- Marilyn Hall (Moderator), Senior Water Resources Planner, Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities (Georgia)
WateReuse Arizona Section Meeting & Webinar
11 am PDT | 11 am MST | 2 pm EST
Fee: Complimentary
PDHs: 1
In January 2018 the State of Arizona lifted the prohibition that restricted Direct Potable Reuse. This effort was to provide more options for communities facing problems with droughts and water shortages. Scottsdale Water has been at the forefront of water reuse starting with Indirect Potable Reuse in 1998 and has successfully recharged billions of gallons of highly purified water. Now once again Scottsdale Water continues to lead the way in Direct Potable Reuse innovation. In late 2018, joint discussions between ADEQ and the city led to a process that would have Scottsdale receive the first Arizona permit, at a permanent facility, to serve water for Direct Potable Reuse. The groundbreaking permit effectively establishes a model for cities across Arizona and elsewhere to begin working towards reusing their precious water resources for future, long-term water sustainability.
Scottsdale Water received the final permit on September 9, 2019 allowing DPR on a demonstration scale. This presentation will step through the internal processes and discussions that resulted in the final implementation. Considerations and evaluations made included constructability for both internal and external sources, overall timeline and milestones for completion of project, equipment selection, system design layout and size (permit), input by staff, system redundancy (UV), and lessons learned. It will also outline how ADEQ and Scottsdale Water worked to create criteria for the monitoring and regulation of this water allowing ADEQ to use this as a basis to create full permit program for pathogen removal, emerging contaminants, operator training, ongoing monitoring and reporting. Since September 9, tour groups, Scottsdale Water Citizen Academy and City employees, have had the opportunity to drink the advanced purified reclaimed water, in addition to the water provided to make beer for Scottsdale Canal Convergence event.
Presenter
David Walby is the Water Reclamation Services Director for Scottsdale Water. He previously served as the Wastewater Collection Manager. He is Responsible for direction and management of the Water Resources facilities and staff that ensure reliable and safe collection, treatment and reuse of reclaimed water. He is also responsible for the State’s first permitted state-of-art Direct Potable Reuse facility. Acts as a technical advisor and performs policy-level coordination, advisory and administrative functions relating to the operation of the City’s water reclamation (sewer collection, wastewater treatment, and reuse/recharge) systems.
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Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern ; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
In the words of California Governor Gavin Newson, “The greatest challenge facing California is access to water. And the greatest challenge facing water access is public understanding. The Rainbow will capture public imagination and accelerate popular acceptance of water recycling.”
The Rainbow is a planned public artwork by artist Michael Jones McKean, envisioned to catalyze the implementation of water reuse. An advanced purification system (MBR, RO, UVAOP) will treat raw wastewater to potable standards to produce water for The Rainbow. Set against the iconic landscapes of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay, and using only the site’s natural sunlight and the purified recycled water, artist Michael Jones McKean and partners San Francisco Art Institute and Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture (FMCAC) will create a massive water wall in which The Rainbow will emerge at daily intervals as well as use the water for non-potable reuse.
Presenters
- Hesse McGraw, Curator and Writer
- Brynne Weeks, Carollo Engineers, Inc.
- Andrew Salveson (Moderator), Carollo Engineers, Inc.
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Join Us!
2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Pacific
NACWA and the WateReuse Association are partnering to gather a panel of experts for NACWA’s June Legal Hot Topics Webinar to discuss the recent US Supreme Court decision in the case of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. The panel will analyze the new “functional equivalence” test for determining whether a discharge is subject to Clean Water Act permitting and address what the decision means for public clean water utilities, the scope of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, and water reuse projects.
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Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Although advanced water purification effectively and efficiently removes pollutants, there is potential for trace levels of unregulated constituents to be present in all treated drinking water. Improvements in analytical instrumentation now allow scientists to measure constituents of emerging concern (CECs) and disinfection byproducts (DBPs) at very low concentrations. Please join us for a discussion of the latest science on the prevalence of CECs and DBPs in water reclamation and water reuse and a framework for monitoring and controlling CECs and DBPs in potable reuse. The presentation will include an in depth overview of effective treatment practices, including source control, unit process removal efficacy, and overall treatment train performance. The guidance and best practices provided will help you ensure that you are incorporating the latest science and technology in your treatment approaches.
Presenters
- Larry Schimmoller, Global Technology Leader for Water Reuse, Jacobs
- Eric Dickenson, Water Quality R&D Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority
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Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Sponsor: Brown and Caldwell
Early information about the wastewater coming into wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and even into advanced water purification facilities (AWPF) can provide insight into the treatability of that water, offering the opportunity for early notice about operational adjustments to make before that water reaches a treatment facility. This presentation will present a utility’s experience piloting an innovative approach to demonstrate how smart devices and cloud-based data platforms can support monitoring real-time discharges into the wastewater system, improve industrial pretreatment programs and how that approach could be applied to potable reuse applications in the future.
Presenters
- Tasha King-Davis, City of Memphis
- Joshua Balentine, Brown and Caldwell
- Kati Bell, Brown and Caldwell
- Melanie Holmer, Brown and Caldwell (Moderator)
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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.
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