Washington Update
Draft National Water Reuse Action Plan Posted for Public Comment
EPA Discusses Water Reuse with House Infrastructure Committee
Senate Committee Advances Funding for Water Recycling
Trump Administration Withdraws 2015 Clean Water Rule
State Updates and Member Profiles
Arizona: Scottsdale Receives State’s First DPR Permit, Sponsors Craft Beer Brewing Event
WateReuse Association member Scottsdale Water received Arizona’s first direct potable reuse (DPR) permit, making its advanced water treatment plant one of only three permanent facilities in the nation permitted for DPR. Scottsdale Water has performed indirect potable reuse via aquifer recharge for more than 20 years. While Scottsdale Water does not plan to make immediate changes in how it manages water, the utility will use its DPR permit for educational purposes, including providing water for a craft beer brewing event in November. Read More.
California: Legislature Directs State Water Board to Update Non-Potable Reuse Rules
Earlier this month, the California Legislature unanimously passed a bill, AB 1180, which requires (based on available funding) the State Water Board to update its non-potable reuse regulations by 2023. It also requires the Water Board to include the use of swivel ell connections for its update to cross connections regulations. WateReuse California has been requesting this update for more than 10 years to address a number of outdated provisions for non-potable regulations involving dual plumbing, outdoor eating facilities, and more. The bill now goes to the Governor for his signature.
California: Metropolitan to Assess Supply Potential of Stormwater Reuse
WateReuse Association member the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is launching a new three year, $5 million pilot program to learn the most efficient and cost effective methods to capture and use rainfall and stormwater runoff. The program will help fund the construction of new direct-use stormwater capture projects and the installation of monitoring equipment on existing projects. The pilot program is aimed at direct-use projects, like cisterns and permeable pavement with underground collection systems, that capture rainfall and stormwater and use it onsite for nonpotable needs such as irrigation. Read More.
Texas: Report Forecasts Increased Water Recycling in Oil and Gas Industry
The Texas Alliance of Energy Producers released a report September 16 that forecasts that the reuse and recycling of water produced during oil and gas extraction is poised to expand as the amount of water produced during these processes is expected to nearly double by 2023. The study, titled Sustainable Produced Water Policy, Regulatory Framework, and Management in the Texas Oil and Gas Industry: 2019 and Beyond, predicts that Texas oil and gas producers will be forced to continue sourcing water for fracking from an area in West Texas where water is scarce and freshwater sources are depleting. The report also finds that current and emerging treatment technologies can support cost-effective recycle and reuse in the oil and gas industry. Read More.
Research Update
RFPs for Six New Water Reuse Research Projects Open
The Water Research Foundation announced six new water reuse research projects that will be funded under a grant from the California State Water Resources Control Board. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are open for research that addresses log removal credits, real-time monitoring, advanced oxidation processes, antibiotic resistance, and more. View RFPs.
Research Consortium to Study Scientific Gaps in Produced Water Recycling
New Mexico Environment Department and New Mexico State University have entered into a memorandum of understanding, which will create a produced water research consortium. The consortium will develop a framework to fill scientific and technical knowledge gaps necessary to establish regulations and policies for the treatment of produced water that protect public health and the environment while encouraging the oil and natural gas industry to rely less on fresh water and more on the reuse of produced water. Read 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
Webinar: Status of California’s Advanced Water Treatment (AWT) Operator Certification Program
As potable reuse grows in popularity, the challenge for state regulators and municipalities implementing PR is to determine the best way to verify that the operators assigned to operate a PR plant have an adequate level of experience and training to operate these complex and critically important systems, while also ensuring that the program integrates with existing certifications. The CA-NV Section AWWA and the California Water Environment Association have developed an Advanced Water Treatment Operator (AWTO) Certification Program open to AWTOs across the county to address the absence of significant testing on advanced water treatment topics in the existing Operator Certification Program for water and wastewater operators. This presentation will give an overview of the program development, the exams being offered, and training and preparation needs.Presenter
Erin Mackey is a Senior Process Engineer with Brown and Caldwell in their Walnut Creek, California office. She has over 20 years of experience in drinking water, reuse and wastewater treatment and water quality. She is the Secretary of the California/Nevada Section AWWA/CWEA Advanced Water Treatment Operator Certification Committee and is Trustee of the AWWA Sustainability Division and a member of their Disinfection Committee.Topic: Recycled Water Technologies and Case Studies
The Annual WateReuse California Conference brings together utilities, businesses, policymakers, and large water users from across the state to examine the latest issues and technologies in water recycling.
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