Water Recycling Highlighted during ‘Imagine a Day without Water’
On Wednesday, October 23, the WateReuse Association and several member organizations participated in “Imagine a Day without Water,” which promotes the value of water. Examples of member participation included an article in the Chicago Sun Times encouraging businesses to recycle water authored by a commissioner from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago and a community meeting convened in Palo Alto, California to discuss regional opportunities for water reuse, among many other activities across the country. In addition, WateReuse Executive Patricia Sinicropi released a blog post discussing the essential value of clean and safe water and the benefits of water recycling.
Washington Update
Congress Negotiates Funding Levels for Water Recycling Programs
New Legislation Will Support Reuse to Build Resilience
WateReuse Adopts Policy Statement on PFAS
Congress is currently contemplating new laws that would direct federal agencies to regulate Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in a variety of ways. In response, the WateReuse Association adopted a set of principles to guide our engagement on the issue. The most likely legislative vehicle for new PFAS legislation is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2020, which the House and Senate are currently negotiating. Both the House version and the Senate version of NDAA contain provisions related to the control of PFAS in water, land, and manufactured products.
EPA Invites Eight Water Recycling Projects to Apply for Low Interest WIFIA Loans
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that it is inviting eight water reuse projects sponsored by WateReuse Association members to apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans. EPA received 51 letters of interest from both public and private entities in response to the 2019 WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability. In all, 38 projects in 18 states were invited to apply for WIFIA loans totaling approximately $6 billion to help finance over $12 billion in water infrastructure investments.
EPA Announces Workforce Initiative to Combat Staffing Shortages in Water Treatment
EPA recently announced the Water Workforce Initiative to help cities and communities across the country that are facing critical staffing shortages for the operation and maintenance of essential drinking water, wastewater, and recycled water infrastructure. The goal of this new initiative is to provide federal leadership, collaborate with partners and increase public awareness to bolster interest in water sector careers—a field that is charged with ensuring that all Americans have access to clean and safe water. The Water Workforce Initiative builds on recent efforts to promote water careers. Following further engagement with its partners, the agency intends to release a draft Water Workforce Initiative for public comment this winter.
State Updates and Member Profiles
Arizona: Scottsdale Uses DPR Water to Educate Community
Brian Biesemeyer, Executive Director of Scottsdale Water, was interviewed last week on KJZZ public radio about Scottsdale Water’s recent achievement of becoming the first Arizona utility permitted for direct potable reuse. Scottsdale is using its DPR permit to create educational opportunities for the community. The facility has given its water to 10 breweries to make beers that will be served at the One Water Brewing Showcase during Scottsdale’s Canal Convergence in November. Read More.
Nevada: WateReuse Nevada Partners with Girl Scouts on Water Reuse Education
WateReuse Nevada is hosting an outreach event for Brownie Girl Scouts on December 7 in Las Vegas that involves a series of activities and presentations to earn a badge called Wow! Wonders of Water Journey – LOVE Water. The activities will include learning opportunities on the water cycle, water pollution, and water recycling. The event is open to second and third graders. Read More.
New Mexico: State Agencies Discuss Water Reuse Opportunities in the Oil and Gas Industry
New Mexico state agencies held the first of five meetings last week to discuss opportunities to recycle water produced from hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas industry. The Produced Water Act was signed into state law this year, which requires the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to develop regulations and permit any produced water use outside the energy industry, such as crop irrigation or municipal drinking water supply. NMED and New Mexico State University recently announced a partnership to research produced water reuse. Read More.
WateReuse Members Recognized Across the Water Sector for Innovations in Water Reuse
Several WateReuse Association members were recognized last week by water industry organizations for their innovative water recycling programs. The Orange County Water District (California) received the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’ 2019 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance for its Groundwater Replenishment System. Pasco County Utilities (Florida) received the Engineering News Record Southeast Award of Merit/Water Environment for the Central Pasco County Beneficial Water Reuse project. SUEZ received the Best Performing Company in Water Reuse award at the 2019 IDA World Congress in Dubai.
WateReuse Customer Communications Tools and Resources
Profiles in Reuse: Flyer Explains Safety and Reliability of Potable Reuse
The WateReuse Association released a new flyer, Profiles in Reuse: Potable Reuse, which members can use 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
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!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Champion Sponsor: CDM Smith
This presentation will give an overview of the COVID-19 research in wastewater that CDM Smith is conducting with multiple clients in the U.S. and Canada. The second half of the presentation will link the findings and learnings from the COVID-19 research to water reuse. For example, an understanding of viral loads, variability among communities and within communities, and online or field qPCR methods are essential to measuring the Sars-CoV-2 virus in wastewater and predicting future reemergence. This detailed, increased monitoring of sewersheds coupled with fast-tracked development of more mobile analytical methods may lead to better monitoring and understanding of wastewaters, as a source for IPR or DPR.
Presenters
- Anna Mehrotra, PhD, PE – Environmental Engineer, CDM Smith
- Greta Zornes, PhD – CDM Smith Practice Leader for Reuse & Industrial Treatment
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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
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
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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