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October 2023

Publication and Presentation Highlights

EPA Supports Research on Innovative Water Reuse Technologies. EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program published a webpage to highlight small businesses that are developing new ways to treat and reuse water. The previous SBIR grant awardees are developing technologies that range from household to commercial scale and aim to lower the cost of reuse through both high- and low-technology methods. The innovative approaches developed by these small businesses are providing new methods for treating reclaimed water to save energy and reduce demands on freshwater. For more information on the SBIR program, visit this webpage. (Action 7.5: Coordinate and Promote Water Reuse Technology in Federal SBIR Programs)  

EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) Undertakes Water Reuse Study on Potential Investment Tax Credits. House Report 117-400 directs EPA and the federal Water Reuse Interagency Working Group to “undertake a study on the public benefit of a potential federal investment tax credit to support private investment in water reuse and recycling systems.” During the October EFAB public meeting, the board voted to move forward with the study. The advisory board will evaluate the public benefits of a potential tax credit, quantify benefits and evaluate optimal investment tax incentive structures to encourage innovation.

Case Studies Demonstrate Multiple Water Reuse Benefits. Nine water reuse case studies have been now published and are organized to describe how water reuse is used to benefit communities (e.g., increase water supply, recharge underground aquifers, and prevent flooding). Each case study details the projects’ unique reuse solutions; ability to navigate the local policy, institutional, and regulatory environment; financial or contractual agreements; lessons learned; and more! New examples include:

• Native American Tribe utilizes treated municipal wastewater for irrigation and wetland restoration (Minnesota) 
• Diverting stormwater for beneficial reuse to reduce experienced water stress (California) 
• Leveraging a new development project to reduce potable demand and improve sewer capacity (New York) 
• Reusing water for landscape irrigation and wetland maintenance to lower dependence on groundwater (Georgia) 
• Microsoft reuses water to improve local groundwater supply (Washington)

Case studies were individually authored by the World Bank, GHD, Jacobs, Stantec, New York City Department of Environmental Protection and EPA. They are also available at the EPA's Water Reuse Resource Hub, organized by end-use application. (Action 11.3: Develop and Highlight Case Studies Relevant to the WICER Framework) 

Water Research Foundation (WRF) Publishes Report: Indicator Viruses for Advanced Physical Treatment Process Performance Confirmation. This project identified and evaluated potential viral indicator(s) for assessing the performance of physical treatment processes during advanced water treatment for potable reuse. Differences in wastewater characteristics, treatment technologies, plant capacities, geographic locations and seasonal effects were considered to evaluate virus removal efficiency during soil aquifer treatment, media filtration, activated carbon adsorption and by integrated membrane systems consisting of ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis. (Action 3.6: Viral Pathogen and Surrogate Approaches for Assessing Treatment Performance) 

 

Water Reuse at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) Meeting. Dr. Rabia Chaudhry (EPA) presented on water reuse opportunities in the Washington, D.C. region at the COG Water Resources Technical Committee’s Water Reuse Webinar. Additionally, speakers from Anne Arundel County and Fairfax County shared their water reuse strategies to better manage wastewater discharges while augmenting fresh water supplies. Presentations are available here.

Infrastructure and Research Funding Announcements

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $76 Million WIFIA Loan to Expand Water Reuse. Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox joined City of Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson and other local officials to announce a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to Monterey One Water. This $76 million loan will expand existing water reuse capacity from five million gallons per day to 7.6 million gallons per day while ensuring residents and businesses in the surrounding areas have a climate resilient water supply. EPA’s WIFIA loan will save Monterey One Water approximately $15 million while construction and operation are estimated to create 650 jobs. (Action 6.2B: Support and Communicate WIFIA Funding)

EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, Radhika Fox, in Northern Monterey County, California. Photo credit: EPA

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Announces Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Funding. FEMA announced the availability of $800 million for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program and $1 billion for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. These programs provide states, local communities, Tribes and territories with funding to address high-level future risks to natural disasters to foster greater community resilience and reduce disaster suffering. The application period closes February 29, 2024. Water reuse projects are eligible for funding under the drought mitigation category. (Action 2.14: Integrate Water Reuse into FEMA Hazard Mitigation Programs)

EPA Announces $8 Million in Research for Understanding PFAS Uptake and Bioaccumulation in Plant and Animals in Agricultural, Rural and Tribal Communities: Request for Applications (RFA). Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been widely used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. Identifying, characterizing and understanding PFAS uptake within agricultural environments will provide vital information related to exposure pathways and will help inform the development of scalable solutions. Research areas categories include PFAS contamination and bioaccumulation through the utilization of irrigation water, possibly including recycled municipal wastewater or water from effluent dominated waterbodies. This RFA for the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program grant closes December 6, 2023.

WRF Requests Applications for Developing a Coordinated National Research Strategy for Water Reuse. Project objectives include developing an integrated national strategy for communicating and prioritizing water reuse research, synthesizing identified research needs and coordinating with key stakeholder groups to create a roadmap document for the water sector. Applicants may request up to $75,000 in project funds. Proposals due December 5, 2023. (Action 7.2: Develop a Coordinated National Research Strategy on Water Reuse)

State Updates

Arizona Releases Roadmap to Support Direct Potable Reuse (DPR). The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) released a proposed roadmap that outlines an Advanced Water Purification program to support the development of regulations for DPR, the reuse of treated municipal wastewater as drinking water. The roadmap aims to help utilities, local government, businesses, the public and other entities understand ADEQ’s approach to DPR implementation. Comments on the proposed roadmap can be sent to [email protected] until December 2, 2023.

California Bans Grass Irrigation at Certain Locations Unless Water is Recycled. According to Assembly Bill 1572, certain businesses, institutions, industrial facilities and developments in California are no longer permitted to irrigate decorative grasses with potable water. However, in these areas, irrigation with recycled water is permissible. This bill is intended to increase alignment with state policies related to climate change, water conservation and reduced reliance on the San Joaquin Delta ecosystem.

New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) Proposes Supplemental Requirements for Water Reuse Including Produced Water. NMED was delegated by the Water Quality Control Commission to draft the state’s Ground and Surface Water Protection – Supplemental Requirements for Water Reuse (20.6.8 NMAC). The requirements emphasize the restricted reuse of produced water for purposes outside of and unrelated to the oil and gas industry. The comment period closes December 1, 2023.