WRAP Monthly Update – April 2024

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April 2024

Events, Publications and Research

Onsite Water Reuse Summit: Integration of Science, Policy and Operation for Safe and Effective Implementation. Over 200 attendees participated in the Onsite Water Reuse Summit held in Washington, D.C., including technology vendors, academia, code agencies and the private sector, among others. Over the course of two days, attendees learned how to help pave the way for the adoption of onsite non-potable reuse, including sessions on health risk-based frameworks, aligning codes and standards to facilitate onsite reuse implementation and lessons learned from designers and operators. Thank you to the National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems (NBRC for ONWS) and WateReuse Association for partnering with the EPA to host this event! An event summary document is under development, and presentations slides are available here. (Action 2.18: Incorporate Onsite Reuse Research into Codes and Standards for Premise Plumbing and Action 3.4: Develop Research and Tools to Support ONWS)

Pictured left to right: Ashley Harper (EPA Water Reuse Program), Bruno Pigott (EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water), Sharon Nappier (EPA National Program Leader for Water Reuse), David M. Turk (DOE Deputy Secretary) and Peter Fiske (NAWI Director)

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Announces $75 Million for the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI). At the Onsite Water Reuse Summit, DOE’s Deputy Secretary David M. Turk announced that the NAWI energy innovation hub will continue to convene industry and academic partners to examine the technical barriers and research needed to lower the cost and energy of desalination and water reuse technologies. This second five-year phase of NAWI will emphasize the reuse of a variety of wastewaters, increase focus on piloting integrated energy efficient and decarbonized water systems and convene partners to optimize water supply management. (Action 4.6: Implement and Manage the NAWI Energy-Water Desalination Hub)

DOE Deputy Secretary David M. Turk announces NAWI 2.0 at the Onsite Water Reuse Summit at EPA headquarters.

University of Miami Publishes Study on Leveraging Water-Efficient Building Standards to Highlight Water Scarcity and Reuse. This study emphasizes the urgent need for municipalities to adopt the International Code Council’s (ICC’s) International Water Conservation Code Provisions ® (IWCCP) due to rising global water scarcity. The report highlights the potential for significant water savings through strategies including decentralized reuse, stressing the importance of integrating these measures into building codes. If fully implemented, the researchers estimate that billions of gallons of water could be saved by 2029.

Water Research Foundation (WRF) Publishes Report: Occurrence of PFAS Compounds in U.S. Wastewater Treatment Plants. This project closely evaluated per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) at 38 water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). The data gathered provides scientific justification to develop appropriate guidance for site managers that benchmarks typical PFAS mass flows from WRRFs, sampling procedures and analytical methods, as well as potential mitigation strategies specific to WRRF unit processes. The full report is accessible with a WRF Public Plus or Subscriber account.

Funding

The EPA Publishes 2023 Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Annual Report. In 2023, the EPA closed $3 billion in WIFIA loans supporting water infrastructure in ten states. Through these loans, communities and water systems are saving approximately $1 billion, while project construction and operation are creating nearly 20,000 jobs. The WIFIA program selected over 30 water infrastructure projects for future funding, five of which support water reuse. These projects result in 400 million gallons per day (MGD) in water recycled, recharged or redirected for beneficial uses. Congratulations to the 2023 WIFIA recipients! (Action 6.2B: Support and Communicate WIIFA Funding)

Monterey One Water, CA ($76 million)
San Bernardino, CA ($70 million)
Santa Cruz, CA ($128 million)
Ventura, CA ($63 million)
Yucaipa Valley Water District, CA ($81 million)

On May 21, EFAB will hold a public listening session via a webcast for the Water Reuse Tax Incentive Workgroup. The purpose of the listening session is to solicit comments to inform recommendations to the EPA on the public benefit of a potential federal investment tax credit to support private investment in water reuse and recycling systems. (Action 6.6: Study the Public Benefit of a Potential Water Reuse Tax Credit)

Upcoming Webinar on Federal Funding Programs Available for Water Reuse. Various federal infrastructure funding programs support community and state water management and infrastructure funding needs, including water reuse. In this June 26 webinar, representatives from across the federal government will discuss their funding programs, application requirements and examples of previous water reuse projects funded under those programs. (Action 6.1: Compile Federal Funding Sources and Develop Interagency Decision Tool)

State Update

California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) Releases 2023 California Water Plan. The 2023 California Water Plan reflects current water conditions and state priorities. It includes updates on the conditions of the state’s water resources and objectives, including: (1) supporting watershed resilience planning and implementation, (2) improving resiliency of built and natural water infrastructure and providing guidance and support, (3) advancing equitable outcomes in water management, (4) supporting and learning from tribal water and resource management practices and (5) supporting and increasing flexibility of regulatory systems. Recycled water is mentioned throughout the report as a critical water supply for the state’s resilience and a resource necessary for water supply diversification.

Upcoming Reuse Activities and Events

May 13—Public hearing on New Mexico’s proposed regulations for water reuse hosted by the Water Quality Control Commission. Learn more here.
May 15—WateReuse New Mexico Webcast: Road Maps to Potable Reuse in the Inland Southwest. Register here.
May 21—EFAB public listening session for the Water Reuse Tax Incentive Workgroup. Register here.
June 5—EPA 2024-2025 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Funding Opportunities Informational Webinar. Nature-based solutions and water reuse are proposed topics. Register here.
June 26—Infrastructure Finance Webinar: Opportunities to Advance Water Reuse. Register here.
June 28—Deadline to apply for a water reuse ORISE Research Fellowship. The EPA Water Reuse Program is now accepting applications on a rolling basis. Apply here.
July 9—Applications due for Reclamation’s WaterSMART Grants on Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects. Apply here.
August 31—Deadline for Industrial Reuse Champions Award nominations. Submit here.
September 30—Applications due for Reclamation’s Title XVI WIIN Act Projects (apply here); Title XVI Congressionally Authorized Projects (apply here); and WIIN Act Desalination Construction Projects (apply here).

Spotlight on Onsite Non-Potable Water Reuse

Onsite non-potable water reuse is water that is collected, treated and reused at single district or building scale for applications, such as toilet flushing or dust control. Onsite non-potable water systems can help to mitigate the demand on freshwater supplies and reduce the volume of water entering a sewer system, which can be especially helpful during flood events. By reusing water onsite, communities can also lower their overall energy demands and carbon emissions, partially due to the reduced need to transport treated water great distances. These resources and case studies help increase understanding and the accessibility of onsite non-potable reuse practices.

Resources for Onsite Non-potable Reuse. This list of resources is intended to support local implementation of onsite reuse. It includes presentation slides from the Onsite Water Reuse Summit, news releases, program guidance, tools for regulation development, and more!
Texas Water Trade’s Net Zero Water Toolkit. This web resource can help developers incorporate water reuse technologies in new buildings. Texas Water Trade uses this toolkit to collaborate with land developers and water providers to make buildings that capture, treat and reuse their own water the new state norm. Texas buildings that incorporate Net Zero Water strategies demand 75 to 90 percent less from shared water supplies than typical buildings.
Denver Water’s ReUse for US (RUFUS) System. The new RUFUS system in Denver Water’s six-story Administration Building collects water from toilets, urinals, sinks and the cafeteria and treats it for reuse in the building’s toilets and urinals. The RUFUS system is the first of its kind in Colorado to collect, clean and reuse water onsite.
Onsite Water Reuse Case Study: Brooklyn, New York. New York City’s rapid population growth increases wastewater generation, which strains the capacity of wastewater treatment infrastructure. Additionally, the city’s combined sewer system is often overwhelmed by rainfall, causing combined sewer overflows. To help address these issues, the revitalization of the Domino Factory project includes a non-potable water reuse system which will collect and treat wastewater from five newly constructed buildings and reuse it for toilet flushing, cooling tower make-up and irrigation in three of those same buildings. (Action 11.3: Develop and Highlight Case Studies Relevant to the Water in Circular Economy and Resilience Framework)
NEW! Waterloop Episode: San Francisco’s Onsite Recycling Revolution. Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, speaks to how San Francisco’s onsite non-potable reuse efforts at the residential, commercial and district-scale help address water scarcity.
Find additional onsite non-potable water reuse resources on these EPA webpages: Water Reuse Resource Hub by End-Use Application and Curated Topical Reuse Resources.

Case study: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary contains a system—a “Living Machine®”—that treats wastewater generated onsite from the facility restrooms and recycles it for toilet flushing, effectively reducing demand on potable, freshwater supplies and helping to conserve groundwater.

Photo courtesy of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.