Home\WateReuse Review – October 22, 2018

October 22, 2018

 

Washington Update

Congress Enacts Major Water Infrastructure Legislation, includes Support for Water Reuse

On Wednesday October 10, 2018, Congress enacted HR 3021, America’s Water Infrastructure Act, legislation that authorizes several flood control and related programs administered by the Army Corps of Engineers, which also included several provisions to increase investment in water infrastructure, including water recycling projects undertaken by members of the WateReuse Association.

Several provisions contained in the Act enable greater adoption of water reuse by communities interested in pursuing this approach to water resource management. After months of active legislative advocacy, The WateReuse Association is very pleased that that package included Sec. 1164, Local government water management plans, which helps advance water reuse by aligning water resources development projects supported by the Army Corps of Engineers with local water management plans. Many local management plans include projects such as stormwater capture and reuse, water recycling, and aquifer recharge. The WateReuse Association led a coalition of water associations in support of this measure being included in the WRDA package. In the House, the provision was championed by U.S. Representatives John Duncan (R-TN) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Grace Napolitano (D-CA); while in the Senate, we received support from Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

Other provisions included in this package that will also facilitate greater adoption of water recycling are listed below:

  • Sec 2004: encourages the use of non-potable water recycling to address water demand challenges, particularly for industrial applications, sends an important signal to both the private and public sectors to consider a water recycling approach for their water supply needs;
  • 2007:  Innovative Water Technology Grant Program provides $10 million annually to support investments in innovative water technology including water reuse or recycling and technologies to increase water supplies;
  • 2013: Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability authorizes $ 25 million for investment in resilient and sustainable water infrastructure, including water recycling projects
  • Sec 4201: Reauthorizes the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act for $50 million annually through 2021, a critical financing tool for water infrastructure including water reuse infrastructure, which continues to provide low-cost financing tool for water recycling infrastructure.
  • Sec 4101: requires the EPA to establish a Stormwater Infrastructure Funding Task Force, a multi-government and non-profit task force, to examine ways to improve stormwater infrastructure, including infrastructure that can facilitate greater capture and reuse of stormwater resources.

America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 contains key provisions that will help advance the adoption of water recycling nationwide. A copy of the legislation is available here. 

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Membrane Technology in Water Reuse Highlighted in Washington Briefings

The WateReuse Association co-hosted a federal agency briefing on Membrane Water Treatment Technology Usage and Needs in the United States on October 10 at the headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), including how membrane technology is a critical technology for water recycling systems. The American Membrane Technology Association and Water Environment Federation led the effort with WateReuse to plan and deliver a two-hour session. The event was held in conjunction with “Imagine a Day without Water” activities around the United States.

Other federal agencies in attendance included the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy. Multiple offices of the EPA were present to learn more about membrane technologies and their use in water services.

David Ross, Assistant Administrator of the EPA Office of Water, provided opening remarks at the briefing. Ross shared his early career stories of working with membrane technologies in water reuse treatment in California. Noting his passion for the topic, he reported agency intentions to develop a national water reuse strategy and tasked EPA’s Office of Science and Technology to lead the effort. The briefing program included presentations from four speakers followed by a brief question and answer session. Ben Movahed, P.E., BCEE of WATEK Engineering led the program with a Basic Overview of Membrane Technologies – allowing the participants to hold samples of many different types of membranes to understand their composition. Four talks by the experts followed the introduction:

  • Robert Yamada, Director of Water Resources for San Diego County Water Authority, discussed the public-private partnership that facilitated the Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, the largest in the U.S.
  • Mike Snodgrass, Membrane Technology Leader at OVIVO, presented information on Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs) and their application in the United States.
  • David Sloan, Senior Process Engineer at Freese & Nichols, Inc., reviewed the Big Spring, TX direct potable reuse effort.
  • John Nichols, Director of Utilities for Brunswick County, NC, discussed emerging contaminants in the Cape Fear River and the utility’s efforts to reduce them in the public water supplies.

A question and answer period wrapped up the briefing where participants discussed roles in bearing the cost of treating water contaminated upriver, advantages of a private public partnership, feasibility of direct potable reuse, financial impact on utilities who are treating unregulated contaminants, and the future use and customers for highly treated recycled water.

In the afternoon, there was a Congressional Briefing on Capitol Hill to present the progress made with membranes to meet the water quality and supply needs in the United States. The briefing started with a review of membrane technologies followed by an opportunity for the staffers to view posters from the morning sessions and ask question of the presenters. The Honorable Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) hosted the session.

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State Updates and Member Profiles

Welcome New Members!

The WateReuse Association welcomes the following new members:

California: New Law Will Expand On-Site Water Recycling

California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a bill, SB966, which will expand water recycling in California by developing on-site water reuse regulations. Introduced by state Senator Scott Wiener, the new law requires the state water board to issue more comprehensive regulations for on-site water recycling. The new law will give businesses clear standard on how to permit on-site systems. WateReuse Association member the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, WateReuse California, and the US Green Building Council all supported the bill.

California: Malibu Opens $61 Million Water Recycling Facility

The City of Malibu recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new $61 million Civic Center Water Treatment Facility, which will recycle 70 million gallons of water each year to irrigate parks and public landscaping. The city formed a community facilities district to fund the design and then formed an assessment district among Civic Center properties to fund the construction. Attendees of the ribbon cutting took guided tours of the facility to view and learn about the system’s major features. Learn More.

Florida: Tampa Bay Times Publishes Editorial in Support of Potable Reuse

The Tampa Bay Times published an editorial October 12 in support of a proposed potable reuse project that would add purified water into the area’s drinking water supply. The editorial states, “this is a smart use of precious natural resources and an example of regional thinking, and the utility’s governing board should approve it.” Under the proposal, 50 million gallons of purified water would be injected into the aquifer each day. When the water is pumped back up, about half would go to Tampa’s drinking water treatment plant and the other half to the Hillsborough River reservoir. Read More

New Mexico: New Planned Community Required to Recycle Water

WateReuse Association member the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority is requiring a proposed 13,700-acre planned community to include water reuse as an integral part of its water management strategy. The developer would be required to build a drinking water system, a reuse system, and a wastewater system at an estimated cost of $600 million over the 50-year-build-out. Water Utility Authority officials have told developers that groundwater is available on the property, but no additional water capacity within the Water Utility Authority’s current infrastructure is available for the community. Read More.

 

Association News

Water Reuse Baseline Data Indicates Rate of Adoption in U.S.

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) released a report containing baseline data showing the degree to which water recycling is occurring in the U.S. The research was conducted as part of WEF’s ReNEW Water Project, which is supported by the WateReuse Association, Association of Clean Water Administrators (ACWA), National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), and The Water Research Foundation (WRF), as well as Réseau Environnement in Quebec. Preparation of Baseline Data to Establish the Current Amount of Resource Recovery sought to establish a baseline for current resource recovery practices in the North American water sector with respect to water, nutrients, and energy. The current status of resource recovery was quantified through a mass-balance approach for all three resources contained in wastewater effluent. According to this analysis, the total percentage of water reuse in 18 states at 6% (or 1.9 billion gallons per day) of the total municipal wastewater production in the U.S.

For this study, water from water resource recovery facilities (WRRF) is defined as “recovered” if it is used for potable or nonpotable reuse or groundwater replenishment; discharged to surface waters (other than oceans) for the intentional purpose of supplying water for downstream use or watershed protection; and/or contained in biosolids applied to land.

The estimates in the study are based on databases published for 17 of the 50 U.S. states that had made detailed information accessible. Of the remaining states, eight reportedly do not have water reuse programs and therefore do not track data related to water reuse; and 24 U.S. states and the District of Columbia do not have accessible water reuse information. Consequently, the data used to develop the 6% number was estimated to be approximately 75 to 85 percent complete.

The report finishes with specific recommendations and data needs for future work to help advance resource recovery practices in North America. Briefly these are:

  • In general, existing databases cover water and biosolids end uses at WRRFs. Databases need to explicitly capture information on phosphorus, nitrogen, and energy.
  • The resource recovery data summary forms a basis for estimating resources that can be feasibly recovered by WRRFs. Technological limitations as well as financial cost-effectiveness need consideration.
  • Other than biogas, little to no information was available on other forms of energy content in wastewater. This data is needed to allow for developing aggregate baseline data at the state and national level.
  • Future utility survey efforts on resource recovery should include carbon mass balances to account for chemical energy content.
  • Data for biosolids production and uses would benefit from an updated national database.
  • Water reuse data by utility and state is needed in an up-to-date national database.
  • Develop national aggregates for resource recovery baseline performance in Canada and combine surveys conducted for Canada and the U.S. using survey tools applied in this study every 2-5 years.
  • Efforts should continue to complete the necessary information for small WRRFs to help reach their full resource recovery potential.

Additional information is on the ReNEW webpage.

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WateReuse Executive Director Participates in Maryland-Israel Sister State Water Security Summit

WateReuse Executive Director Patricia Sinicropi participated in a panel discussion on water reuse and national security on October 10 as part of an all day summit organized by the Maryland-Israel Sister State project. The summit was the 3rd Israel-US Water Initiative Round Table held in collaboration with the American Water Works Association, and brought together leaders from the Maryland and Israeli business communities, as well as state, municipal and county authorities, and water management and technology experts from academia, industry, and environmental organizations. Sinicropi provided an overview of national trends in water reuse, discussed some of the drivers behind the growing interest in water reuse on the East Coast, and touched on how advancements in technology are facilitating adoption of water reuse by local communities and businesses. Summit participants also discussed water-related security challenges and technology needs facing the U.S. and opportunities for Israeli technology providers to assist in meeting these challenges.
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Conferences and Events

Webcast: Learn about the New Recycled Water User Network

Please join us on Thursday, November 15th at 2:00 pm EST to learn about the WateReuse Association’s newest membership opportunity, the Recycled Water User Network. The network gives 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 and 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

Agenda
Agenda
May – June 2020 May – Jun 2020
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May
27
Wed
Webcast: Water Education Today – Distance Learning Tools to Support Community Engagement and Homeschooling
Tickets
May 27 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern ; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1

Register Now!

Project WET (Water Education Today) advances water education to understand global challenges and inspire local solutions including water reuse. With most of the world currently engaged in distance learning, Project WET has adapted their programs to provide valuable resources to a wide range of audiences, including utilities, parents, children, educators, community members, and corporations. Join us to learn how you can use Project WET’s interactive, hands-on activities to educate ratepayers, build community support for water recycling, and create home learning opportunities for your own children.

Project WET will also share details on new resources and opportunities, including:

  • Water reuse student booklet (will be completed September 2020)
  • New training guides for educators and parents (can be water reuse specific)
  • Individual lessons for students (digital and print)
  • Online training programs (educators, students, parents)
  • Water education website for children DiscoverWater.org

Through its worldwide network of implementing partners, Project WET is active in all 50 U.S. states and more than 70 countries.

Presenters

  • Morgan Close, VP of Projects and Programs, Project WET
  • Julia Beck, VP of Networks, Project WET
  • Marilyn Hall (Moderator), Senior Water Resources Planner, Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities (Georgia)
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Categories: Webcasts
May
28
Thu
First Full Scale DPR Permit in Arizona for Demonstration and Education
Tickets
May 28 @ 11:00 am

WateReuse Arizona Section Meeting & Webinar
11 am PDT | 11 am MST | 2 pm EST
Fee: Complimentary
PDHs: 1

Register Now!

In January 2018 the State of Arizona lifted the prohibition that restricted Direct Potable Reuse. This effort was to provide more options for communities facing problems with droughts and water shortages.  Scottsdale Water has been at the forefront of water reuse starting with Indirect Potable Reuse in 1998 and has successfully recharged billions of gallons of highly purified water. Now once again Scottsdale Water continues to lead the way in Direct Potable Reuse innovation. In late 2018, joint discussions between ADEQ and the city led to a process that would have Scottsdale receive the first Arizona permit, at a permanent facility, to serve water for Direct Potable Reuse. The groundbreaking permit effectively establishes a model for cities across Arizona and elsewhere to begin working towards reusing their precious water resources for future, long-term water sustainability.

Scottsdale Water received the final permit on September 9, 2019 allowing DPR on a demonstration scale. This presentation will step through the internal processes and discussions that resulted in the final implementation. Considerations and evaluations made included constructability for both internal and external sources, overall timeline and milestones for completion of project, equipment selection, system design layout and size (permit), input by staff, system redundancy (UV), and lessons learned.  It will also outline how ADEQ and Scottsdale Water worked to create criteria for the monitoring and regulation of this water allowing ADEQ to use this as a basis to create full permit program for pathogen removal, emerging contaminants, operator training, ongoing monitoring and reporting. Since September 9, tour groups, Scottsdale Water Citizen Academy and City employees, have had the opportunity to drink the advanced purified reclaimed water, in addition to the water provided to make beer for Scottsdale Canal Convergence event.

Presenter

David Walby is the Water Reclamation Services Director for Scottsdale Water. He previously served as the Wastewater Collection Manager. He is Responsible for direction and management of the Water Resources facilities and staff that ensure reliable and safe collection, treatment and reuse of reclaimed water. He is also responsible for the State’s first permitted state-of-art Direct Potable Reuse facility.  Acts as a technical advisor and performs policy-level coordination, advisory and administrative functions relating to the operation of the City’s water reclamation (sewer collection, wastewater treatment, and reuse/recharge) systems.

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Categories: WateReuse Arizona Webcasts
Jun
3
Wed
Webcast: The Rainbow: Public Art with Purified Recycled Water
Tickets
Jun 3 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern ; 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1

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In the words of California Governor Gavin Newson, “The greatest challenge facing California is access to water. And the greatest challenge facing water access is public understanding. The Rainbow will capture public imagination and accelerate popular acceptance of water recycling.”

The Rainbow is a planned public artwork by artist Michael Jones McKean, envisioned to catalyze the implementation of water reuse. An advanced purification system (MBR, RO, UVAOP) will treat raw wastewater to potable standards to produce water for The Rainbow. Set against the iconic landscapes of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay, and using only the site’s natural sunlight and the purified recycled water, artist Michael Jones McKean and partners San Francisco Art Institute and Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture (FMCAC) will create a massive water wall in which The Rainbow will emerge at daily intervals as well as use the water for non-potable reuse.

Presenters

  • Hesse McGraw, Curator and Writer
  • Brynne Weeks, Carollo Engineers, Inc.
  • Andrew Salveson (Moderator), Carollo Engineers, Inc.
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Categories: Webcasts
Jun
9
Tue
Los Angeles Chapter Meeting
Tickets
Jun 9 all-day
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Categories: Los Angeles WateReuse California
Jun
10
Wed
To Be (a Point Source) or Not To Be (a Point Source): Implications of the County of Maui Supreme Court Decision for Clean Water Utilities
Tickets
Jun 10 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Join Us!
2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Pacific

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NACWA and the WateReuse Association are partnering to gather a panel of experts for NACWA’s June Legal Hot Topics Webinar to discuss the recent US Supreme Court decision in the case of County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund. The panel will analyze the new “functional equivalence” test for determining whether a discharge is subject to Clean Water Act permitting and address what the decision means for public clean water utilities, the scope of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, and water reuse projects.

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Categories: Webcasts
Jun
11
Thu
Webcast: Control of Unregulated CECs and DBPs in Potable Reuse Projects
Tickets
Jun 11 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1

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Although advanced water purification effectively and efficiently removes pollutants, there is potential for trace levels of unregulated constituents to be present in all treated drinking water. Improvements in analytical instrumentation now allow scientists to measure constituents of emerging concern (CECs) and disinfection byproducts (DBPs) at very low concentrations. Please join us for a discussion of the latest science on the prevalence of CECs and DBPs in water reclamation and water reuse and a framework for monitoring and controlling CECs and DBPs in potable reuse. The presentation will include an in depth overview of effective treatment practices, including source control, unit process removal efficacy, and overall treatment train performance. The guidance and best practices provided will help you ensure that you are incorporating the latest science and technology in your treatment approaches.

Presenters

  • Larry Schimmoller, Global Technology Leader for Water Reuse, Jacobs
  • Eric Dickenson, Water Quality R&D Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority
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Categories: Webcasts
Jun
17
Wed
WateReuse Pacific Northwest Meeting
Tickets
Jun 17 all-day
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Categories: WateReuse Pacific Northwest
Webcast: Leveraging Digital Water Solutions for Industrial Monitoring and Pretreatment Programs – Improving Enhanced Source Control Programs
Tickets
Jun 17 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Join Us!
2:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific
WateReuse Members: Free
Others: $49
PDHs: 1
Sponsor: Brown and Caldwell

Register Now!

Early information about the wastewater coming into wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and even into advanced water purification facilities (AWPF) can provide insight into the treatability of that water, offering the opportunity for early notice about operational adjustments to make before that water reaches a treatment facility. This presentation will present a utility’s experience piloting an innovative approach to demonstrate how smart devices and cloud-based data platforms can support monitoring real-time discharges into the wastewater system, improve industrial pretreatment programs and how that approach could be applied to potable reuse applications in the future.

Presenters

  • Tasha King-Davis, City of Memphis
  • Joshua Balentine, Brown and Caldwell
  • Kati Bell, Brown and Caldwell
  • Melanie Holmer, Brown and Caldwell (Moderator)
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Categories: Webcasts
Jun
18
Thu
Orange County Chapter Meeting @ TBD
Tickets
Jun 18 @ 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
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Categories: Orange County Chapter WateReuse California
Jun
24
Wed
2020 WateReuse California Virtual Conference
Tickets
Jun 24 – Jul 31 all-day
2020 WateReuse California Virtual Conference

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.

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Categories: Conferences Featured WateReuse California
May – June 2020 May – Jun 2020

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