Profiles in Reuse: New Flyer Showcases Opportunities for Industrial Reuse
The WateReuse Association released a new flyer, Profiles in Reuse: Industrial Reuse, that outlines the benefits of industrial reuse, makes the business case for industry to invest in water recycling, and presents brief case studies that illustrate the many ways in which businesses across the U.S. rely on water reuse to operate. The flyer is part of WateReuse’s Profiles in Reuse series and is designed to introduce new audiences to the concept of industrial water reuse. View and download flyer.

Resilience Redefined: Submit a Proposal to Present at the 36th Annual WateReuse Symposium
Washington Update

WateReuse Supports U.S. Army Corps’ Nationwide Reuse Permit Proposal
Last week, the WateReuse Association submitted a formal comment letter in support of a proposal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to establish a nationwide permit related to water reuse. The new permit is for the discharge of dredged or fill material associated with the construction, expansion, and/or maintenance of water reclamation and reuse facilities. WateReuse supports the creation of this permit to add clarity and simplify the permitting process. Read full letter here.

EPA’s New Loan Program Announces $695 Million for Water Infrastructure Investments in Three States
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is inviting three state agencies to apply for a total of $695 million in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans through EPA’s new state infrastructure financing authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) program. This funding will help states finance infrastructure projects, including water reuse, to improve water quality and protect public health.
EPA’s SWIFIA loans are available exclusively to State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. The first three selected SWIFIA borrowers are the California State Water Resources Control Board ($500 million), the Iowa Finance Authority ($156 million), and the Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank ($39.2 million). Read more.

Feedback Requested: WateReuse Seeks Member Guidance on Implementation of National Water Reuse Action Plan
The WateReuse Association is seeking member guidance on implementation of the U.S. EPA’s national Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP). To help guide implementation of a range of actions, please complete our survey here.
The WRAP was developed in partnership with WateReuse and other stakeholders. WateReuse is leading or co-leading a variety of actions, including developing a database to track and report state-level policies and regulations related to water reuse; establishing a water reuse award to recognize significant achievements in adopting and promoting water reuse in the industrial and corporate sectors; and helping to organize events related to stormwater reuse, inter-state collaboration, and workforce development.
State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Member!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new member:
- Columbia University (New York)
Arizona: Watch now! Reclaimed Water Brings Life Back to River
Last summer, Tucson Water began releasing reclaimed water to the Santa Cruz River allowing two previously dry stretches of river to flow. The Santa Cruz River Heritage Project adds up to 2.8 million gallons of recycled water daily to the Santa Cruz River fostering abundant native vegetation and wildlife along with new recreational and economic opportunities. Watch here.
California: Recycled Water Provides Opportunity for the Tijuana River
The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) heard proposals for two projects that would treat and recycle water from its South Bay plant. IBWC executes water-related treaties between the U.S. and Mexico. While IBWC’s South Bay facility is supposed to catch and clean effluent from the Tijuana River as it spills over the border, heavy rains on the Mexico side wash more water and sewage into the river than the plant was built to handle. San Diego-based WinWerks proposed a reuse project that would capture, treat, and resell the water to Southern California utilities. A Tijuana-based engineering consortium proposed pumping the water to a purification plant further down in the watershed. Read more.

Member Spotlight: Xylem Helps Alberta, Canada Produce Its First DPR Beer
WateReuse member Xylem partnered with Village Brewery and the University of Calgary to produce Alberta, Canada’s first beer brewed with water from a direct potable reuse (DPR) treatment system. The local wastewater was treated through ultrafiltration, ozonation, UV radiation and reverse osmosis. The team referenced direct potable water standards from Singapore, Germany, and California and met all Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines. Read more.
International Update
Delhi Government Turns to Water Reuse to Reduce River Pollution
The Delhi, India government announced plans to treat and reuse 400 million gallons of the 720 million gallons of wastewater produced locally each day. The project will reduce the Yamuna River pollution load by 90% by 2023. The treated water will be used for groundwater recharge, surface water augmentation, irrigation, and forest restoration. Additional interventions include reusing biosolids for biogas production, natural wetlands treatment, and upgraded aeration methods. Read more.
Digital Advances Allow for Remote Commissioning of Saudi Desalination Plant
Despite travel restrictions in the age of COVID-19, Madrid based Acciona successfully commissioned a Saudi reverse osmosis desalination plant from thousands of miles away using “digital twin” technology. The digital twin is an exact digital copy of the Al-Khobar 1 Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plant, and allowed engineers in Madrid to begin testing and commissioning the plant. The team used advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence coupled with remote supervision capability. Read more.
Member Resources and Benefits

Find a Job or Recruit Talent at the WateReuse Career Center
Today’s high-tech water reuse programs require specialized skills to plan, manage, and operate. Use the WateReuse Association’s Career Center to find a new job or find the right talent to fill your position. As a job seeker, you can receive job openings in you inbox, post your resume, and access professional resources such reference checking and resume writing. As an employer, you can post jobs at a member discount and manage applications online. Visit the Career Center to set up your profile!
Conferences, Webcasts and Events

Webcast: Water Reuse in Palestine – Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainability, Food Security, and Economic Growth
Although a small country with many water resource challenges, Palestine relies on agriculture as a critical component of its economy. About 50 percent of the land is designated agricultural yet only 7 percent is irrigated, creating an opportunity for water reuse to play a key role in water conservation, food security, and economic growth. Join Dr. A. Rasem Hasan, a professor and researcher at An-Najah National University in Nablus, West Bank, on December 9 at 1 pm ET to learn about recent challenges, social and technical, and proposed solutions to increase water recycling in Palestine. Register here.

Save the Date: 36th Annual WateReuse Symposium – Resiliency Redefined
Mark your calendar for the 36th Annual WateReuse Symposium, presented virtually March 15-25, 2021 as a series of live, fully interactive roundtable discussions. Each live roundtable includes breakout rooms that allow you to turn on your camera and interact face-to-face with presenters and other attendees. To prepare attendees to fully participate in this unique interactive experience, a group of pre-recorded, on demand roundtables will provide prerequisite education. Experience the 2021 WateReuse Symposium from the comfort of your own office in manageable chunks, and earn professional development hours! Learn more.
Free Virtual Event: Water Utility Resilience Forum
Water utilities will come together on December 1-2, 2020 for a virtual discussion of how utilities can be resilient and sustainable now and for the next one hundred years. Featuring insights from industry leaders and subject-matter experts, the Water Utility Resilience Forum will be a rich dialogue on what utilities are doing today to be resilient and what a resilient future looks like. The Forum is free to attend and is being convened by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) in partnership with the Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC). Learn more.
U.S. EPA Webinar: Workforce Technology Adoption – It’s All About the People
Join the U.S. EPA and speakers from MCES (Minnesota) and the Water Tower (Georgia) on December 9 for a discussion of Technology Adoption to support the workforce of the future. The speakers will discuss the motivations, challenges, and benefits they are experiencing as they work with their own employees and others to ensure their people get the best support possible to meet the technology and water quality challenges of the 21st century. This presentation is part of an ongoing webinar series sponsored by EPA, with support from water associations. Register here.
Upcoming Events
Stakeholder meeting for pending changes to TCEQ Chapter 217 relating to reclaimed wastewater collection systems. View the advocacy updates article for more details, or visit the Wastewater System Design Criteria Stakeholder Group for the proposed changes and future meeting announcements.
Friday, June 9, 2023
11:00 am to 2:00 pm ET (Remote)
More info TBD

1 pm PT | 4 pm ET (1 hour)
WateReuse Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Save the Date: Registration will open soon
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, agriculture accounts for more than 80% of the nation’s water consumption. Water reuse is uniquely suited to provide resilience, local control, environmental protection, and high water quality for this critical demand. Join our webcast to learn about two innovative approaches to securing America’s food supply with water reuse, strategies for overcoming obstacles, and gain insight on how USDA conservation programs can be a valuable resource in funding these projects.
Presenters:
- Chris Hay, Conservation Design Scientist, Iowa Soybean Association
- Julie Hawkins, State Conservationist, USDA-NRCS
- Mike McCullough, Director of External Affairs, Monterey One Water
Add to Calendar