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
Register Now!
Join Us!
2:00 – 4:00 pm ET| 11:00 am – 1:00 pm PT
Fee: Complimentary
Join a group of stormwater management leaders from around the US to discuss stormwater capture motivations and drivers, barriers to progress, and future directions. This group will touch on questions like- Why are communities pursuing stormwater capture for use now? How do community interests in stormwater harvesting vary across the country? What factors get in the way of progress? Where do we want to be with stormwater capture in 20 years? The audience will learn about the different motivators, unique strategies, and opportunities to market and advance stormwater capture across the U.S.
Presenters
- Randy Bartlett, Fairfax County VA
- Sharlene Leurig, Texas Water Trade/Austin Water Forward
- Mark Doneux, St. Paul, MN Capitol Region Watershed District
- James Moore, Georgia Association of Water Professionals
- Enrique Zaldivar, City of Los Angeles
- Lynn Broaddus, Water Environment Federation
- Drew Wenzel, Google
This webinar will be the first of a series of four webinars as part of the National Water Reuse Action Plan, Action 2.3.3. Co-sponsors include the WateReuse Association, U.S. EPA, National Association of Municipal Stormwater Agencies (NMSA), Re-Inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), Water Environment Federation, and Johnson Foundation at Wingspread (JFW).
Save the Date
Join us for the second webinar in this series.
Developing Stormwater Treatment Standards – Where’s the Action?
February 23, 2021
2:00 – 4:00 pm ET
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Join Us!
9:00 am – 10:00 am Pacific | 12:00 – 1:00 pm Eastern
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Wastewater-based epidemiology was utilized to detect SARS-Cov-19 in the wastewater of student dorms upon re-entry of University of Arizona students in the fall semester of 2020. Positive wastewater samples allowed for subsequent targeted clinical testing of dorm students and the identification of both symptomatic and asymptomatic Covid-19 infections. Early detection of infected individuals resulted in reduced exponential spread of Covid-19 and allowed the university to remain open throughout the semester.
Presenter
Ian Pepper, Director, WEST Center & Professor, Environmental Science
Dr. Pepper is an environmental microbiologist whose research has focused on the fate and transport of pathogens in air, water, soils and municipal wastes. More recently, he has investigated the potential for real-time detection of contaminants in water distribution systems. Dr. Pepper is Professor in the Community, Environment, and Policy Department in the UA College of Public Health, as well as Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering. In addition to his duties at the WEST Center, he is director of the National Science Foundation Water Quality Center at the UA.
He also teaches a graduate level laboratory class on Environmental Microbiology, and an undergraduate class on Pollution Science. He has co-authored numerous books and journal articles on Environmental Microbiology and Pollution Science, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Microbiology, the American Society of Agronomy, and the Soil Science Society of America.
He received his Ph.D. in Soil Microbiology from The Ohio State University, M.S. in Soil Biochemistry from Ohio State, and B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham, Great Britain.
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Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm ET| 11:00 am – 12:00 pm PT
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
As more communities face water quantity challenges, water reuse is a viable option to expand drinking water sources. Although all water is recycled as it moves through the environment, the practice of treating wastewater to be used for potable water is sometimes met with skepticism. Some of this stems from the “toilet to tap” campaigns that may have led to more rejection of water reuse than acceptance.
Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is a framework that evaluates the many factors impacting water reuse practices and management, as well as those influencing community perception. With the emergence of new pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, the acceptance of water recycling as part of a community’s drinking water sustainability plan may be even more challenging. This webcast will describe how QMRA may be used to communicate with stakeholders – including healthcare providers – the human health safeguards associated with water reuse implementation.
Presenters
- Karla Mendez, PhD Candidate, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, El Paso campus
- Kristina Mena, MSPH, PhD, Regional Dean and Associate Professor, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, El Paso campus
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First Quarter:
Remote – Zoom
Friday, March 12, 2021
11:00 am to 2pm EST // 10 to 1 CST // 9:00 to 12 MST // 8:00 to 11 PST
36th Annual WateReuse Symposium: Redefining Resiliency
March 15-25, 2021
Join us for a series of live and on demand virtual roundtables!
Add to Calendar
Second Quarter:
Remote – Zoom
Friday, June 4, 2021
11:00 am to 2pm EST // 10 to 1 CST // 9:00 to 12 MST // 8:00 to 11 PST
Third Quarter:
Los Angeles, J.W. Marriott L.A. LIVE
Friday, Sept 17, 2021
11:00 am to 2pm EST // 10 to 1 CST // 9:00 to 12 MST // 8:00 to 11 PST