Washington Update
EPA Accepting Comments on Water Reuse Action Plan through December 16
DOE Seeks Comments on New Prize to Advance Water Recycling Technology
Department of Energy Invests $4.6 Million to Advance Water Recycling in the Oil and Gas Industry
State Updates and Member Profiles
California: Governor Signs Legislation to Update Non-Potable Reuse Rules
On October 2, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed WateReuse California sponsored legislation, AB 1180 (Friedman). The bill requires the State Water Resources Control Board to update the state’s non-potable recycled water regulations, which have not been revised since 2000. An update to these regulations, incorporating the knowledge and lessons learned from nearly two decades of non-potable water recycling, will help the state to achieve its ambitious goals for recycled water use. The bill also promotes recycled water use for dual plumbed building and for commercial, industrial and institutional uses by requiring the State Water Resources Control Board, through its update of backflow regulations, to include the use of a change over device, such as a swivel ell. The bill was supported by many member agencies throughout the state. Full text of the bill can be found here.
California: Paso Robles Completes Facility to Recycle Water, Nutrients
WateReuse Association member the City of Paso Robles recently completed a new tertiary treatment facility that can recycle water to irrigate farmland and sports fields. The plant also added a harvesting system that collects nutrients — ammonia, phosphorus and nitrate — from the water and creates a commercial-grade fertilizer. Currently in the design phase, the Recycled Water Distribution System is the next phase in Paso’s Recycled Water Master Plan. Read More.
Nevada: WateReuse Nevada Launches 2019 Scholarship Program
WateReuse Nevada is offering undergraduate and graduate scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to assist students attending a Nevada institution of higher education. Up to two scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students and up to five scholarships will be awarded to graduate students. Qualified students must be pursuing a degree in a field related to water reuse and submit an application by November 8. Learn More.
Suez and Wharton School Release New Report on Water Reuse Outlook
WateReuse Association member Suez and the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania released a new report exploring the scope of the global water crisis and the possible ways forward. Titled The End of Wasted Water: A Revolution in Reuse Is Underway, the report shares data on global water stress, discusses opportunities and challenges in water recycling, and explores the future of water reuse. The document is a follow up to a water reuse conference that the two organizations hosted in San Francisco on February 27, 2019. View the Report.
WateReuse Customer Communications Tools and Resources
How Can You Offer Recognition to Your Recycled Water Customers? Participate in the Recycled Water User Network
Are you interested in recognizing recycled water customers as community water stewards or offering an incentive for new customers to come onboard? Participate in the Recycled Water User Network, a members-only network for businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations that use recycled water, including customers of water utilities and organizations that recycle water onsite. The network gives businesses, governments and nonprofits that use recycled water the opportunity to receive a green designation, Water StarTM, and access to information and resources on recycled water. Learn More.
Conferences and Events
Call for Abstracts: 2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference
The California Section of the WateReuse Association is accepting abstracts for presentations at the 2020 WateReuse California Annual Conference to be held March 15-17, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, California. The conference is designed for individuals, organizations, and agencies that are associated with or interested in the design, management, operation, and use of water recycling facilities and projects in California. Abstracts are due October 18. Learn More.
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!
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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