News

The WateReuse Association and the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) are accepting abstracts for our first specialty conference. The conference will be held at the Dockside in Sydney, Australia on November 15-17, 2010. The conference theme is Water Reuse and Desalination: Water Scarcity Solutions for the 21st Century. To be considered for a technical presentation, submit an abstract by March 25, 2010.

The San Diego City Council approved a pivotal contract on January 26 that will allow water officials to move forward with an $11.8 million pilot project that will use highly purified recycled water to augment drinking water supplies. The City Council approved a $3.28 million contract with RMC Water and Environment to manage the project and educate residents about water recycling.

The Southwest Florida Water Management District recently published a brochure on the history and safety of reclaimed water. The brochure presents the major studies which adequately address the quality and safety questions about the use of reclaimed water. The brochure also describes significant uses in the United States and globally.

The Marin Municipal Water District approved the construction of a $105 million desalination plant on the San Francisco Bay during an August 19 Board meeting. The new plant could be up and running as early as 2014.

The City of San Jose, CA, the Friends of Guadalupe River Park & Gardens, and other project partners recently celebrated the grand opening of the city's newest and greenest community garden, which is irrigated with recycled water.

The San Diego Regional Chapter of the WateReuse Association presented cash prizes to several San Diego area students recently. The prizes were awarded to students who participated in the Greater San Diego Science and Engineering Fair, held at Balboa Park in San Diego.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently announced that $134.3 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are being released to local water agencies for 27 innovative water reuse and desalination projects. The stimulus funding is being directed to "shovel ready" projects authorized under the Title XVI Program, which is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation in 17 western states.

The Association released an RFP on June 9 for a Water Reuse and Desalination Positioning Strategy — Pilot Study. The overall goal of the project is to create a model for how WateReuse can assist its members and others in increasing public acceptance of water reuse and desalination projects. The pilot study will develop best approaches and methodologies for a national campaign. Proposals are due July 27, 2009.

The City of Santa Rosa (CA) recently announced that it had met the goal of recycling 100% of its wastewater. From May 2008 to May 2009, Santa Rosa treated and recycled more than six billion gallons of water to produce electricity and irrigate agriculture, parks, landscapes, school grounds, and golf courses. During the same period, the City did not discharge any effluent to a local river.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will host two training sessions on water reuse irrigation systems. The first session will address design of irrigation systems for water reuse and land treatment sites; the second will focus on operation and maintenance of irrigation systems. The sessions will be held July 13-14 and July 15-16 in Twin Falls, ID.