Home\News\WateReuse Review\WateReuse Review – November 25, 2019

November 25, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving!

In this time of Thanksgiving, the WateReuse Association expresses our appreciation for you—our members. We would not be able to do our work without your support.  We hope that you enjoy a feast and the company of your family and friends this week. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Washington Update

Fall Regulatory Agenda Hits on Water Recycling

Save the Date: Join Us for Water Week 2020 to Advance Water Recycling

Make plans to join the WateReuse Association in Washington, DC on April 26–May 2 forWater Week 2020. Water Week is the only national policy event of the year that draws together water professionals from across the country to advocate for the unique needs of recycled water, drinking water, and clean water utilities. It is not only an opportunity to advance policy priorities for the water utilities, including greater federal investment in water infrastructure, but also to celebrate the role these utilities play in communities nationwide. Last year, over 30 partnering and supporting organizations participated. WateReuse encourages our members to participate so that we can ensure that recycled water is an integral part of the Water Week message.  

Congress Extends Federal Funding for Water Reuse, Other Programs Through December 20

Last week, Congress passed and the President signed a bill to extend federal government funding, including funding for water recycling programs, through December 20, 2019. The government had been operating under a previous extension, also called a continuing resolution (CR), which expired on November 21, the day the follow-up extension was passed. Under a CR, funding for key water recycling programs is extended at last year’s levels. Congress will now have until the December 20 deadline to finalize new funding levels for the remainder of FY 2020. See our previous reports for a full accounting of the levels included in the House and Senate appropriations bills, which Congress is using as the basis for final funding negotiations.

State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Member!

The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new member:

Arizona: EPA Recognizes Marana Water for Innovative Water Reuse Project

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized WateReuse Association member Marana Water last week for excellence and innovation for a water reuse project that will reduce wastewater overflow during wet weather events. The project, which received funding from the EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), will convey wastewater from the Adonis neighborhood to the existing Town of Marana municipal system for treatment and reuse. The Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) program offers national recognition to exceptional projects funded through the CWSRF. Read More.

California: Soquel Creek Awarded $50 million Grant, $36 million Loan for Water Purification

WateReuse Association member the Soquel Creek Water District was awarded a $50 million state grant last week for its Pure Water Soquel Groundwater Replenishment and Seawater Intrusion Prevention Project. Pure Water Soquel will take treated, recycled municipal wastewater and use advanced water treatment methods to produce 1,500 acre-feet of purified water annually. This purified water will be used to prevent seawater intrusion and to recharge the over-drafted groundwater basin. The state water board also approved a $36 million low interest loan for the project. Since July, the state water board has approved 13 grants totaling $367 million for groundwater protection. Read More. 

California: SFPUC Marks One Year of Potable Reuse Research

WateReuse Association member the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) last week marked one year of testing a new water recycling program that would treat wastewater collected in its headquarters building to potable standards. SFPUC has been capturing, treating and reusing wastewater to flush the toilets at its headquarters since 2012. For its potable water research, the agency takes roughly 4,000 gallons from that supply and subjects it to a three-step purification process. The agency expects to continue testing the purification system over the next few years. Read More.

Florida: Potable Reuse Legislation Introduced in Florida House

Legislation that follows the recommendations of the Florida Potable Reuse Commission (PRC) was filed in the Florida House of Representatives on November 20 by Rep. Randy Maggard. HB715 creates a statute to allow potable reuse for public water supply and compels the Department of Environmental Protection, with technical working groups, to adopt regulations for potable reuse. The Florida PRC, which is a consensus driven stakeholder group, has developed a soon-to-be-released framework for the implementation of potable reuse in Florida.

Members Lead Growth in Water Reuse

Several WateReuse Association member projects were profiled in a recent Civil Engineering article on how water reuse is ramping up across the United States. While water reuse has long been a staple in arid regions, the practice is beginning to take hold even in areas with more abundant water resources. Read More.

WateReuse Customer Communications Tools and Resources

Need to Illustrate the Value of Water Reuse Investment? Use Our Flyer and Infographic

Utilities must make a compelling case to ratepayers, policymakers, and other stakeholders that investment in water recycling is the right decision. Use our flyer and infographic to illustrate that Investment in water reuse builds communities that are modern, sustainable and stable—ready for families to flourish and businesses to grow. The infographic highlights examples of recycled water from coast to coast and documents the value they bring.

Conferences and Events

Webcast: Balancing Water Reuse and Stream Quality in the Highly Urbanized Los Angeles River Watershed: Application of Statewide Framework

Water reuse can result in a reduction of instream flow and can impact existing and future instream beneficial uses, setting up potential conflicts between policies aimed at promoting reuse, protecting water quality, and managing ecological resources. Join us on December 5 at 2 pm EST to learn about the California Environmental Flows Framework, developed to address this issue, and its application in the Los Angeles River.  Register now.

Upcoming Events

Oct
10
Tue
WRCA Los Angeles Chapter Meeting
Oct 10 all-day
Host and Sponsor TBD.
Germany’s Approach to Water Reuse for Agricultural and Landscape Irrigation
Oct 10 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Germany’s Approach to Water Reuse for Agricultural and Landscape Irrigation

8:00 am PT | 11 am ET  | 5:00 pm CET (1 hour 30 minutes)
WateReuse Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1.5

Germany’s Approach to Water Reuse for Agricultural and Landscape Irrigation

Register Now!

Despite Germany’s temperate climate and history of adequate water resources, the country is experiencing droughts and extreme weather trends as a result of climate change. Germany’s increasing interest in employing water reuse for agricultural and landscape irrigation can serve as a model for other temperate regions facing these trends.

Join us for this 90-minute webcast covering the full timeline of reuse in Germany, including reuse initiatives which have existed for decades, future outlooks for reuse in Germany, and the recent European Water Reuse Regulation (2020/741) which went into effect in June 2023. Our panel of research and utility experts will also present ongoing research related to non-potable reuse of municipal wastewater for agricultural and landscape irrigation, which is part of the German BMBF Water Technologies: Reuse (WavE) funding program.

Moderator:

  • Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva, Project Manager, Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin

Speakers:

  • Dr. Christina Jungfer, Project Manager, DECHEMA
  • Prof. Dr. Jörg E. Drewes, Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Technical University of Munich
  • Markus Büttner, Environmental Engineer, Stadtentwässerung SCHWEINFURT
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Wintgens, Chair of Urban Water Management and Institute of Environemtnal Engineering, RWTH Aachen University
  • Prof. Dr. Thomas Dockhorn, Director, Institute of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Braunschweig
  • Prof Dr. Aki S. Ruhl, German Environment Agency, Technical University of Berlin
Oct
12
Thu
Northern California/Central Valley Joint Meeting
Oct 12 @ 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Oct
17
Tue
Pacific Northwest Section Meeting
Oct 17 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Oct
19
Thu
WateReuse Arizona: High-Recovery Desalination: Tradeoffs in Reuse
Oct 19 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
WateReuse Arizona: High-Recovery Desalination: Tradeoffs in Reuse

11:00 am PT | 2 pm ET (1 hour)
WateReuse Members: Free; Others: $49
PDHs: 1

Register Now!

High-recovery desalination processes offer the benefit of increasing water recovery, generally with increasing cost and complexity.  Reverse osmosis and electrodialysis desalination processes will be reviewed and compared with respect to high-recovery water reuse applications.

Moderator:

Erin Young, R.G.

Hydrogeologist | Water Resources Manager

City of Flagstaff Water Services

eyoung@flagstaffaz.gov | w: (928) 213-2405

 

Presenter:

Shane Walker, Ph.D., P.E.

Director, Water Resources Center

Professor, Civil, Environmental, & Construction Engineering

Texas Tech University

shane.walker@ttu.edu

806-834-0823

Orange County Chapter Meeting @ Irvine Ranch Water District
Oct 19 @ 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Oct
26
Thu
WateReuse AZ 4Q Section Meeting & Election
Oct 26 @ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Nov
1
Wed
WRFL Annual Meeting @ Tampa Bay Grand Hyatt
Nov 1 @ 8:00 am – 1:00 pm
WRCA Los Angeles – Emerging Professionals Committee for a tour of MWD’s Weymouth Water Treatment Plant
Nov 1 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Please join the Emerging Professionals Committee for a tour of MWD’s Weymouth Water Treatment Plant on November 1, 2023, from 10 am – 12 pm! Tour capacity is limited to 30 people so please RSVP ASAP to reserve your spot at the link here: https://forms.gle/gxGhtcBLVwWMTG1F7

Constructed in 1941, the Weymouth Water Treatment Plant is the first water treatment plant constructed by the MWD and now has a treatment capacity of 520 million gallons per day! Please check out the fact sheet here for more information: water-treatment-plants-fact-sheet-final_web.pdf (mwdh2o.com)

Event Address: 700 Moreno Ave, La Verne, CA 91750

Parking is available on site.

Following the tour, anyone who is hungry is open to join us at In-N-Out Burger:

Restaurant Address: 2098 Foothill Blvd, La Verne, CA 91750

For more information, please contact Seto Cherchian at 714.944.4726 or SCherchian@brwncald.com.

Nov
5
Sun
2023 WateReuse California Annual Conference @ Indian Wells, CA
Nov 5 – Nov 7 all-day

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