September 17, 2018
33rd Annual WateReuse Is Overwhelming Success
Washington Update
Congress Passes FY19 Funding for Title XVI
House Passes New Pre-Conferenced WRDA Legislation
State Updates and Member Profiles
Welcome New Members!
The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:
California: WateReuse California Supports Bond that Includes $400 Million for Recycled Water
California: California Water Wins Approval for Desalination Plant in Monterey
California American Water, a WateReuse Association member, received approval for its $279.1 million plan to create a new water source for the Monterey Peninsula on September 13. The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project will draw water from an intake system of subsurface wells. The water will be sent to a desalination plant built on a 46-acre vacant parcel. The project is needed because California has ordered new restrictions on water from the Carmel River and the Seaside Groundwater Basin, which currently supply the peninsula. Read More.
California: WateReuse California Communications Collaborative Group Meets on October 17
Communications Professionals: WateReuse California is starting a Communications Collaborative Group to provide a forum to discuss and collaborate on potable reuse communications. Please join us for our first meeting on October 17 from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. The meeting will be held both online and in-person to promote statewide participation. All WateReuse California members are welcome.
Register for online meeting
RSVP to attend in-person by October 10
Meeting Agenda
California: Kennedy/Jenks Promotes Dawn Taffler to One Water Practice Lead
Florida: Panama City Beach Sports Park to Use Recycled Water
Construction is about 33 percent complete for the new $37 million sports park in Panama City Beach that will use reclaimed water when available. Officials broke ground on the sports park in June, and expect the park to open June 2019. The sports complex will include athletic fields, an outdoor field complex, and walking and biking trails. Read More.
Association Updates
WateReuse Launches Network to Connect Recycled Waters Users Across the U.S.
The WateReuse Association launched the Recycled Water User Network last week, 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 will help users promote their commitment to water use sustainability, stay informed about the latest research and news about the safety of recycled water, and connect with other users to learn and share best practices.
Awards for Excellence Honor Achievements in Water Recycling
WateReuse, NACWA Announce Memorandum of Understanding
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and the WateReuse Association are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining a commitment from the two organizations to work more closely together on issues around water reuse and water recycling. The MOU notes that NACWA recognizes WateReuse’s technical expertise on reuse/recycling issues, and that WateReuse recognizes NACWA’s unique advocacy role in supporting and encouraging resource recovery and water reuse. The document also outlines a number of areas of policy advocacy coordination – including around federal funding, research, regulation, and federal statutes – as well as a commitment for collaborative knowledge sharing, learning opportunities, and engagement between members and staff.
Conferences and Events
Webcast: Potable Reuse Using Ozone-Biofiltration
Interest in potable reuse is rapidly increasing across the United States, but some utilities are finding proven treatment processes cost prohibitive. Please join us Wednesday, September 26 at 2 p.m. eastern to hear results from a Water Research Foundation and Gwinnett County, Georgia study evaluating an alternative treatment train using two-stage ozone-biofiltration – without reverse osmosis – to achieve potable quality water. The presentation will include the research drivers and background, outline the pilot study objectives, and provide a summary of results from the drinking water pilot as well as the upstream advanced treatment facility. A cost comparison will be presented showing significant capital and operating cost savings of this non-RO based treatment approach. This research provides valuable information to the water industry by demonstrating the strengths and challenges associated with this non-RO approach to potable reuse, particularly for inland facilities where disposal of RO brine can be cost-prohibitive. Register Now!
Upcoming Events
The WateReuse San Diego Chapter will meet on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. This meeting will be in person at Vallecitos Water District’s administrative building in San Marcos, followed by a tour of the Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility.
Our presentations will include updates from Vallecitos WD, Fallbrook Public Utility District, and an update on the Direct Potable Reuse regulations. We look forward to seeing you all there!
*Important Information: Please note that while we will be meeting at Vallecitos headquarters, people wishing to attend the tour will need to drive to Meadowlark WRF after the meeting. A map is included on page 2 of the agenda below.
Host and Sponsor TBD.

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
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
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