Home\WateReuse Review – November 5, 2018

November 5, 2018

 

Washington Update

WateReuse Leads Stakeholders in Urging $250 Million Reauthorization for Title XVI-WINN

WateReuse Association Offers Support to Army Corps of Engineers on New Water Reuse Provisions

EPA Invites Water Recycling Projects to Apply for WIFIA Loans

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency invited three WateReuse Association members – the City of Los Angeles, Inland Empire Utilities Agency (CA), and Pinellas County Utilities (FL) – to apply for Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans. Together, the three agencies will receive WIFIA loans of approximately $336 million to help finance water recycling infrastructure. EPA received 62 letters of interest from both public and private entities in response to the 2018 WIFIA Notice of Funding Availability After a statutorily required review process, 39 prospective borrowers’ projects were selected to submit applications for loans. In total, the selected borrowers will receive WIFIA loans of up to $5 billion to help finance over $10 billion in water infrastructure investments and create up to 155,000 jobs.

 

State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Member!

The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new member:

Arizona: Peoria Moves Forward with Potable Reuse

WateReuse Association member the City of Peoria recently greenlit a $2.2 million project to recharge its groundwater aquifers with purified water. The project is designed to support the water supply in an area threatened by drought, rising demand, and climate change. Although new rules in Arizona would allow Peoria to send purified water directly to the drinking water treatment plant, the community decided to replenish the aquifers instead. Read More.

Colorado: WateReuse Colorado Releases Technical Memorandums on DPR

WateReuse Colorado released three technical memorandums from the “Advancing Direct Potable Reuse to Optimize Water Supplies and Meet Future Demands” project developed to advance direct potable reuse (DPR) in Colorado. The project assembled stakeholders including regulators, utility providers, consultants, and advocacy groups to address the regulatory, public outreach and perception, and technical hurdles that Colorado will face when implementing DPR. The technical memorandums on each topic are available in the links below, as well as an executive summary with an overview of the project.

Florida: Altamonte Springs Purifying Water from Sewers, Storms

WateReuse Association member the City of Altamonte Springs is emerging as a leader in advancing water purification with its pureAlta demonstration project that is turning 30 million gallons of wastewater and stormwater into drinking water each day. The project’s treatment train produces water that meets or exceeds drinking water standards, without the use of a traditional reverse osmosis step that can be particularly costly for inland communities that cannot easily dispose of the leftover salty concentrate. The project also serves as a model for the Florida Potable Reuse Commission as it develops a regulatory framework for potable reuse in Florida. Read More.

 

Online Member Resources

Flyer Illustrates Economic Value of Recycled Water

Did you know that 70% of the world’s internet traffic moves through servers in Loudoun County, VA that are cooled with recycled water? Or that Orange Country, CA produces enough purified water to meet the drinking water needs of more than 850,000 people? View and share Water Reuse: Transforming Water, Sustaining Our Future, a two page flyer that explains the benefits of water reuse on one side and presents infographics illustrating the economic value of recycled water for communities across the country on the other side. Visit the WateReuse website to view other public awareness resources, including videos, fact sheets, and reports.

 

Research Update

Water Research Foundation Seeks Proposals for Water Reuse Research

 

Conferences and Events

Webcast: Learn about the New Recycled Water User Network

Are you interested in recognizing recycled water customers as community water stewards or strengthening your marketing to potential new customers? Please join us for a webcast on Thursday, November 15 at 2 pm EST to learn about a new resource for WateReuse members and a new membership program for industrial and commercial users of recycled water called the Recycled Water User Network™. The network provides a member-only platform for users of recycled water, including customers of water utilities and organizations that recycle water onsite, and is designed to be a resource for members of the WateReuse Association to market and provide support to current and potential customers of recycled water, while building public acceptance of recycled water in your community. The network provides businesses, governments and nonprofits that use recycled water the opportunity to receive a green designation, Water StarTM and to access information and resources on recycled water.  Members of the network would also receive access to the Association’s membership benefits, including access to monthly webcasts, weekly newsletter, and discounts on conference registration fees. To learn more about how your utility can take advantage of the Recycled Water User Network, register today for the webcast.

Webcast: Reducing the Cost of Concentrate Disposal: Using a Novel Hybrid NF-RO to Enhance Sodium Chloride Removal

Concentrate disposal is a major cost for desalting operations, and for many water-recycling applications only partial desalting is needed, often targeting sodium chloride specifically. Please join us on Wednesday, November 14 at 2 p.m. EST to learn about a pilot study that was conducted to demonstrate the viability of a two-pass system, combining an NF pass with a second RO pass and blending the NF concentrate with the RO permeate. Findings indicate that sodium chloride can be preferentially removed from the recycled water, chemical and power consumption can be reduced when operated at system recoveries comparable to typical RO systems, and much higher recoveries are achievable with modest increases in power and chemical usage. Register Now!

Upcoming Events

Sep
16
Tue
WateReuse Texas 2025 Conference
Sep 16 – Sep 18 all-day
Sep
19
Fri
Central Coast Chapter Officer’s Meeting
Sep 19 all-day
Sep
21
Sun
2025 WateReuse California Conference @ Town and Country Resort
Sep 21 – Sep 23 all-day
2025 WateReuse California Conference @ Town and Country Resort

The 2025 WateReuse California Conference will unite the engineers, environmentalists, and experts who energize water reuse in California. Participants will learn from numerous technical sessions and panels on the most pressing reuse issues, and enjoy tours, networking opportunities, and industry celebrations.

Register Now!

Sep
22
Mon
WRCA Potable Reuse Permitting and Compliance Commitee @ WateReuse California Annual Conference @ Town and Country Resort
Sep 22 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm

This event will be held in Palm 1-3 at the San Diego Town and Country Resort.

Sep
29
Mon
WateReuse Illinois Member Reception @ Pinstripes
Sep 29 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Mark your calendars — we’re hosting a can’t-miss evening after WEFTEC Day One in downtown Chicago!

Join fellow WRA Illinois members and industry professionals for a lively evening of networking, food, drinks, and bocce ball. This is a perfect chance to connect, relax, and celebrate after a busy first day.

Cost to Attend:

  • Municipal members: FREE (up to 3 complimentary tickets per municipality)
  • Non-municipal members: $50

Please RSVP by Thursday, August 29 to secure your spot here. Space is limited!

 

Interested in Sponsoring?
Support the event and showcase your organization to water reuse leaders!

Gold Sponsor
💰 $1,000+ donation

  • Prominent logo display on event signage and materials
  • Recognition during the welcome remarks
  • Opportunity to share your organization’s materials with attendees
  • Two complimentary tickets to the event
  • Featured mention in the WRA Illinois member newsletter

Silver Sponsor
💰 $500+ donation

  • Logo display on event signage and materials
  • Recognition during the welcome remarks
  • One complimentary ticket to the event

If you’re interested in sponsoring or have questions, please reach out.

Register

Oct
14
Tue
Q3 Inland Empire WateReuse Chapter Meeting @ Eastern Municipal Water District
Oct 14 @ 11:30 am – 1:00 pm

Join us on Tuesday, October 14, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at the Eastern Municipal Water District Board Room in Perris, CA for the Q3 Inland Empire WateReuse Chapter Meeting.

This meeting will bring together nationally recognized leaders in potable reuse, offering a rare opportunity to learn about and engage with transformative projects in San Diego, Los Angeles, and the California inland region.

Why attend:

  • Hear directly from experts driving landmark reuse projects.
  • Connect with engineers, utilities, vendors, and regulators.
  • Gain insights that will accelerate innovation and resilience.

Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

👉RSVP here

We also encourage you to extend this invitation to colleagues in the field who would benefit from this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and collaborate. To help spread the word, we are providing a flyer which you can share or post in break rooms, lunchrooms, bulletin boards, or other common spaces (as allowed) where your teams and colleagues will see it.

Oct
16
Thu
WRAZ Section Meeting & Webcast
Oct 16 all-day
Orange County Chapter Meeting
Oct 16 all-day
Oct
21
Tue
Water Reuse Europe – Knowledge Exchange Day
Oct 21 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

The third edition of Water Reuse Europe’s Knowledge Exchange Day will take place on 21 October 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.

This event will showcase the outcomes of recent and ongoing water reuse research projects delivered across Europe, providing a valuable platform for knowledge transfer between WRE members and non-members.

Water Reuse Europe’s Knowledge Exchange Days offer an excellent opportunity for researchers to present their findings, share innovative tools, and engage with potential partners in the water reuse sector. The event fosters collaboration among researchers, commercial companies, utilities, and public bodies, driving innovation and advancing the sector.

Professionals involved in the design and operation of water reuse schemes will benefit from insights into cutting-edge research, networking with key industry players, and discussions on the future of water reuse.

This edition will particularly highlight the impact of EU and nationally funded water reuse projects, including those supported by Horizon Europe. Attendees will gain insights into the latest advancements in R&D, connect with experts, and explore opportunities for future funding and collaboration.

Pacific Northwest Section Meeting
Oct 21 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

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