22nd Annual WateReuse Symposium to Make a Splash in Tampa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2007

For more information contact:
Zachary Dorsey, (703) 548-0880, zdorsey@WateReuse.org

22nd Annual WateReuse Symposium to Make a Splash in Tampa

ALEXANDRIA, VA The 22nd Annual WateReuse Symposium, to be held September 9 - 12, 2007 at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina in Tampa, FL, is expected to set a new attendance record for the third year in a row. With more than 120 technical sessions, panel discussions, a national legislative outlook forum, technical tours, and an exhibit hall, the Symposium will be packed with educational and networking opportunities.

“The continued growth and success of the Annual WateReuse Symposium is a reflection of the quality of this event,” said Pick Talley of Pinellas County (FL) Utilities, who is also one of the chairs of the Symposium Planning Committee. “This is the preeminent conference devoted to water reuse and desalination and there is no better place for water professionals to get the information they need to develop new sources of water and solve critical utility issues.”

Presented by the WateReuse Association and cosponsored by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Symposium will cover such key issues as membrane treatment technologies, urban water reuse, water quality issues, public outreach and education, desalination, agricultural reuse, disinfection, and regulatory issues.

Opening Session
The opening session will feature several prominent speakers including Congressman Bill Young (R-FL) (invited), Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, and officers from WEF and AWWA.

Awards Luncheon
The Awards Program recognizes excellent water reuse, reclamation, and recycling projects and practitioners. WateReuse will identify projects that advance reuse, have a new reclamation twist, or have made significant contributions to water reuse.

National Legislative Outlook Forum
Moderated by Richard Atwater, First Vice President of the WateReuse Association, this session will focus on the need and prospects for national and state legislation related to water reuse and desalination. Invited panelists include congressional staff Mike Connor and Steve Lanich, Roseann Gonzales of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Mimi Drew of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Michael O’Neill of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Regulatory Forum
The Regulatory Forum will include brief updates from states in attendance covering rulemaking activities, issues faced, and accomplishments. The forum will also include an open discussion of regulatory issues.

User Issues Forum: Use of Reclaimed Water at Golf Courses
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) will report on its Survey on Water Use and Conservation and on an educational booklet developed around the theme of recycled water on golf course properties. The forum will give participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss these topics with golf course superintendents and water reuse providers.

Closing Plenary Session — Is Terminology “Contaminating” Reclaimed Water?
Moderated by noted water reuse expert Dr. Jim Crook, this final session — Is Terminology “Contaminating” Reclaimed Water? — includes panelists with divergent views on how terminology affects perception and acceptance of water reuse by the public and others.

Technical Tours
Symposium attendees will have the unique opportunity to participate in facility tours. The Water Reclamation Facility Tour will include stops at Pinellas County Utilities’ South Cross Bayou Water Reclamation Facility, the City of St. Petersburg’s Northwest Water Reclamation Facility, and a driving tour of the Seminole Lake Country Club and the Seminole Lake Country Club Estates. There will also be a tour of the 25 million gallons per day Tampa Bay Seawater Desalination Plant.

Golf Tournament
The golf tournament will be held at the Westchase Golf Club on Sunday, September 9 beginning at 7:00 a.m. The golf course is conveniently located just 20 minutes from the Tampa Marriott and uses reclaimed water.

For more information about the Symposium program, visit www.WateReuse.org/2007Symposium.

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The WateReuse Association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the beneficial and efficient use of water resources through education, sound science, and technology using reclamation, recycling, reuse and desalination for the benefit of our members, the public, and the environment. The Association's membership consists of water agencies, public agencies, consulting firms, and local, state, and federal government agencies. WateReuse is involved in national advocacy, public education and outreach, and water reuse research.