Embracing Water Supply Sustainability - Advocating for Reuse in Our Water Supply Portfolios

Melissa Meeker, Executive DirectorSouthern California Water SummitNovember 8, 2014

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How it actually works:

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Downstream…

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De facto Water Reuse

Consumer

DischargeDrinking Water

TreatmentConventional Wastewater Treatment

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Indirect Potable Reuse

Drinking Water Treatment

Conventional Wastewater Treatment

Advanced Wastewater Treatment

Consumer

Environmental Buffer

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Direct Potable Reuse Concept

Drinking Water Treatment

Conventional Wastewater Treatment

Advanced Wastewater Treatment

Consumer

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How do you view water?

Significantly Undervalued

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Balancing Water Demands and Limited Resources

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•Article in the LA Times – UC researchers have determined that California has issued water rights that amount to roughly five times the state's average annual runoff

Chronic Imbalance between Supply and Demand

August 2014 January 2011

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Potential for Water Reuse• About 7% of municipal wastewater effluent in the U.S. is reclaimed and beneficially reused

• Israel reuses more than 70%

• Singapore reuses 30%, up from 15% in recent years

• Australia, now at 8%, has a national goal of 30% by 2015

92.7%

7.3%

About 33 bgd Municipal Effluent

Available Water

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•Drought•Population growth•Increased municipal, industrial, and agricultural demand•Dependence on single source of supply•TMDLs/Nutrient load caps

Factors Driving Water Reuse Today

“Water scarcity”

No one strategy can solve the future water needs of the state, so the portfolios include different mixes of strategies, such as conservation, reuse, agricultural transfers, and new water supply development. Colorado Water Conservation Board, 2012

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Provides local, climate-independent,sustainable supply for the environment, agriculture, industry AND people• The need has never been greater• Shift in climate• Greater awareness of

environmental/downstream concerns• Existing treatment systems are

protective• Treatment technologies have been proven• Continued technological advancement• Significant research to ensure reliability

The time is now

Economic

Environmental

Social

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The WateReuse Story: Who We Are, What We Do

Trade Associa

tion

Research

Foundation

Leadership

Research

Education

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What is needed?Leaders

hip

• Funding Advocacy

• Policy Development and Implementation

Research

• Applied• Timely• Robust

Education and Outreac

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•Message development•Tool development•Tiered Campaigns

The Right Water for the Right Use

In California:Jennifer West, WRCA Managing Director• Sacramento-based• Extensive legislative experience

Research

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Since 2000…•198 projects commissioned•Over $61M in funding leveraged•145 published reports•50 projects still active

So far in 2014…•13 projects launched•$3M WRRF funding, leveragedby additional $4.2M (and counting) •15 published reports (and counting)

Research Foundation

2001

/200

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1120

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Projects Started Reports Published

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• Potable Reuse• Business

Economics/Triple Bottom Line

• Industrial Reuse

• Public Acceptance & Policy

• Desalination

Research Categories

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WateReuse Research Themes: Project count

# of Projects by Topic

Potable ReuseWater Quality and Human HealthEconomics/TBLPublic PerceptionEnergy/DesalIndustrialTreatment Techn/Opera-tions

Potable - IPRDPR

WQ/Human Health - PathogensChemicalsDisinfection byproducts

Techn/Ops - RONon-membrane basedOperator Training

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To overcome the regulatory, scientific, technical, and attitudinal barriers to DPR by undertaking three main tasks:• Conduct rigorous scientific research• Communicate the research findings through public awareness programs•Work with regulatory authorities to facilitate DPR implementation by local water utilities•>US $6 million raised to date, leveraged (so far) $12M

Research Path to Achieve DPR Initiative Goal

How do we achieve treatment and process reliability through redundancy, robustness,

and resilience?

Regulatory Concerns

Community Concerns

Utility Concerns

How do we address the

economic and technical

feasibility of DPR?

How do we train operators to run these advanced

systems?

How do we increase public

awareness of the water cycle and

illustrate the safety of DPR to

lead to acceptance?

Barriers to DPR

Regulatory

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Utility Community

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WRF4508

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WRRF DPR research program worth over $12M is underway

to address these concerns to illustrate the feasibility of DPR

WRF4536

WRA-14-01

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13-02 Public Perception

•Polling•Focus groups•Telephone surveys•Northern and Southern California

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Financial Support

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• State Water Resources Control Board – $800M in 1% Interest Loans through CW SRF•MWD Local Resources Program Incentive•$340/AF over 25 yrs; $475/AF over 15 yrs• Includes on-site retrofits as eligible costs in the LRP

• 2014 State Water Bond - $7.545B ; $725M earmarked for water recycling/ advanced treatment technology projects•Competitive bid process; 50%/50% grants and low interest loans available

Funding Sources

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•Research•Applied answers to critical questions•Education and Outreach•Tools and action to make water part of the sustainability

•Leadership•Do it for the economy, environment, and society’s quality of life.

In Summary

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The days of using water once and disposing of it are behind us.

Melissa Meeker, Executive Directormmeeker@watereuse.orgJennifer West, WR CA Managing Directorjwest@watereuse.org