Partnering for Impact (PFI) is a one-day, highly focused, interactive meeting of thought-leaders, practitioners, academics, and regulators from throughout the wastewater industry. These industry leaders strive daily to advance technology and innovation through various local and regional partnerships. The 2024 PFI event had 96 attendees and was held at UC Irvine Beall Applied Innovation Beach...

After 16 years in the making, Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW) recently celebrated the official opening of its historic, award-winning $580 million Regional Environmental Sewer Conveyance Upgrade (RESCU) – an innovative revamp of its wastewater conveyance system that will support community and environmental health in Silicon Valley over the next century. The RESCU Program involved...

Last week, the WateReuse California Board of Trustees selected Brenley McKenna as its new Managing Director. McKenna currently serves as the Chief of Subscriber Services for The Water Research Foundation (WRF).  Prior to joining WRF in 2017, McKenna served as Program Manager with Denver Water; as Reclaimed Water System Coordinator with the City of Westminster,...

On December 19th, the State Water Board made California history by granting approval for direct potable reuse regulations, also known as DPR. California’s water and wastewater associations are joining forces to celebrate this momentous achievement. United in the spirit of ‘One Water’ we are proudly working together to build California’s utilities of the future. Following...

Los Angeles water agencies dream big. That’s because local leaders are proactively leading the way here and across the country to provide equitable access to water, build resiliency, and address water supply amid climate change challenges, such as extreme weather, drought, and sea-level rise with water reuse innovation. Case in point: Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) regulations are progressing at the State...

Information from the State Water Board… NOTICE OF PROPOSED REGULATORY ACTION State Water Resources Control Board and Regional Water Quality Control Boards CHAPTER 3.5 – Urban Water Use Efficiency and Conservation ARTICLE 1 SUBJECT: MAKING CONSERVATION A CALIFORNIA WAY OF LIFE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board or...

A joint venture of AECOM and Brown and Caldwell (AECOM-BC Team) has been chosen to provide program and project management support and engineering design services for the Pure Water Southern California program, one of the largest water reuse programs in the world. The innovative program, being developed by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan) in...

VenturaWaterPure (VWP) is a multi-benefit water reuse program that will recover, treat, and reuse water that is currently discharged into the Santa Clara River Estuary, creating a new, local, drought-resilient water source that isn’t dependent on rainfall. Ventura needs more water. A decade of comprehensive evaluations, studies, and piloting have allowed local leaders to consider...

VALLEY WATER Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center City/population served: Santa Clara County’s 2 million residents Plant commissioned: March 2014   FLOW RATES Average daily flow: 8 MGD Upgrade up to 9 MGD   TREATMENT PROCESS Microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet disinfection. Recycled Water Usage Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center (SVAWPC) is designed to...

East Valley Water District held a community ribbon cutting to officially open the Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC) and celebrate the completion of the new community facility. Over 1,300 people enjoyed the event activities, which included a free community concert, food truck vendors, and facility tours. “East Valley Water District made a commitment to the...

On June 1st, the East County Advanced Water Purification Program broke ground, marking an important milestone for the project, East San Diego County, the region and the entire water industry.Program representatives, elected officials and water industry leaders gathered at the future site of the treatment facility in Santee to celebrate the Program that will create a new, local, sustainable and...

Be part of the inaugural 2024 Enhanced Source Control Workshop on February 6 at the Delta Hotels in Anaheim. Learn more > What’s driving the need for enhanced source control research and regulations? AB 574 requires the State Water Board to develop draft direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations by December 31, 2023. An expert panel...

Today, the first operating advanced water purification facility in San Diego County was officially dedicated in the City of Oceanside. Elected officials and water leaders throughout southern California commemorated the milestone aptly celebrated on “World Water Day.” Pure Water Oceanside purifies recycled water to create a new local source of high-quality drinking water that is...

Governor Gavin Newsom visited a Metropolitan Water District of Southern California water recycling facility to discuss the administration’s response to the ongoing megadrought affecting the western United States. January through March were the driest first three months in the state’s recorded history, the state’s largest reservoirs are currently at half of their historical averages, and...

The City of Santa Monica has taken a significant step toward a self-reliant water future as expansions to the Arcadia Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and restorations to the Olympic Well Field break ground. The key water infrastructure improvements are a component of the City’s goal of becoming water self-sufficient by 2023. Santa Monica’s water system...

This opinion article originally appeared in the Marin Independent Journal newspaper and website. Subscription required. Republished with permission. We are water, literally, by weight and so much more. It’s the sparkle in your eye, the sweat on your brow and the blood in your veins. All life and communities are totally dependent on a healthy water...

At CWEA, we’re proud to lead the way with an inspiring, new Strategic Plan that elevates our core priorities—empowering, educating and connecting water professionals to protect public health and the environment. Join us in marking this milestone moment and advancing on our collective goals. Working together, we will build a stronger wastewater profession and a...

  Late this summer, the water features in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, as well as the irrigation systems at the nearby Lincoln Park golf course, will begin using recycled water from the Westside Enhanced Water Recycling Project located at the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant on The Great Highway.  The new $214 million plant will...

In 2010, the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) faced a daunting task—upgrading its wastewater treatment process to tertiary to meet new National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements. That meant removing nearly all ammonia and nitrates from more than 100 millions of gallons of wastewater received every day. To meet the requirements,...

With a tweet on January 4th, the City of Oceanside officially announced its brand-new advanced water purification facility was operational. Kicking off 2022 with another large-scale water reuse facility serving California. The project, called Pure Water Oceanside, is the first AWTF to become operational in the San Diego region and will purify recycled water to...

CWEA member in the news #membermonday. “We recycle (about) 100M gal of water a day and at least half of that goes to a spreading basin in LA County and percolates into our aquifer,” said Basil Hewitt, LACSD. Great @GOVERNING article about CA #waterreuse https://t.co/IGyM5ouyUw — CWEA (@cwea) August 9, 2021 CWEA Members Featured East...

A team of researchers from California State University and the University of California are assessing the economic and environmental impacts of forthcoming water use efficiency standards (AB 1668-SB 606) on urban retail water suppliers. This assessment is funded by the State of California through a mutual agreement between the SWRCB and California State University. The...

With water usage in San Francisco already down seven percent since the advent of voluntary restrictions, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is already on track to meet Governor Gavin Newsom’s 15 percent water reduction goal. Last week, Governor Newsom asked California residents to voluntarily reduce their water usage 15 percent below 2020 rates. Since...

The Los Angeles Basin Section (LABS) of CWEA would like to congratulate Adel Hagekhalil on being selected as the next General Manager of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). In his 30+ year career with the City of Los Angeles, he has long been a champion of recycled water as a valuable and viable...

On June 24th, WateReuse California submitted comments on the Water Board’s draft Direct Potable Reuse regulations. The coalition letter included ACWA, CUWA, CA-NV Section of AWWA and CASA. WRCA developed these comments after holding a webcast and panel discussion in April to review the draft regulations and solicit comments. A DPR Working Group was formed that assisted...

 View LA Sanitation and Environment’s project webpage to learn more.

With opioid overdose deaths increasing during the pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration announces its 20th Take Back Day is scheduled for April 24th. At its last Take Back Day in October, DEA collected a record-high amount of expired, unwanted, and unused prescription medications, with the public turning in close to 500 tons of unwanted drugs....

The new documentary film Brave Blue World examines how new technologies and innovations can create a more sustainable water future. It’s important to convey a sense of hope and spirit of optimism for water. The film includes interviews with a variety of water experts, as well as high-profile advocates Matt Damon and Jaden Smith. By...

From the State Water Board… The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) convened a panel of experts to provide recommendations on enhanced industrial source control for DPR. The Expert Panel has submitted their recommendations to the State Water Board in March 2020. Their report is available to download here: Download the report Enhanced Source Control Recommendations...

Announcement from the State Water Board… NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the State Water Board will accept public comment on the Addendum to A Proposed Framework for Regulating Direct Potable Reuse in California, 2nd Edition (Framework). The State Water Board will provide an opportunity for the public to present oral comments at a public workshop....

Construction of Escondido’s $65 million Membrane Filtration Reverse Osmosis Facility for Agriculture (MFRO Facility) commenced recently, marking a milestone in the City’s goal of providing agriculture growers a high-quality irrigation supply and easing the burden on its wastewater infrastructure. The MFRO Facility will treat a portion of the City’s existing Title 22 recycled water supply...

1986-1992: California endures one of its longest droughts. 1989: Earle Hartling, a water reuse coordinator with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, begins discussions with Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District (Upper District) about a water purification and replenishment project to help refill the declining local aquifer. 1991: Suffering from severe water restrictions, the...

California is far from the only region in the world moving toward direct potable reuse (DPR). Windhoak, Namibia, with a population of more than 350,000, is the first and longest running DPR plant in the world. Windhoak has been using DPR for drinking water purposes for more than 50 years. The Goreangab Reclamation Plant currently...

Converting Waste to Resource The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant (HWRP), located in Playa Del Rey, CA, is one of the largest reclamation plants in the nation, treating an average of 260 million gallons per day (MGD) to full secondary standards. HWRP currently treats 82 percent of Los Angeles’ wastewater and discharges most of its effluent...

This article is part of our water reuse coverage, supported by Hazen & Sawyer > The California state Water Board is beginning the development of Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) statewide regulations by assembling an Expert Panel as required by AB 574 (Quirk-2017). This panel is expected to assist the Water Board’s Division of Drinking Water...

This article is part of our water reuse coverage, supported by Hazen & Sawyer > Public water supplies in California come from groundwater and surface water in a wide range of locations and with characteristics that reflect the geographical diversity of the state. Factors such as population growth and extended droughts are stressing these supplies....

Great news – on December 19th, State Water Board approved the DPR regulations. California water associations applaud new rules with a unified, one voice > We are living in a hotter, drier California. 2020 is on track to be one of the hottest on record. Seven of the ten most destructive wildfires in California’s history have burned in the last five years.  And, California has only recently...

Congratulations to the 65 Utility of the Future Today honorees for 2020!   This is the fifth year of the Utility of the Future Today (UotFT) program and saw the greatest number of applicants and honorees. These honorees have received a Certificate of Recognition and/or a UotFT banner or a 2020 flag.  This year, as a...

Southern California took a major step forward today on the path to developing a new sustainable water source from purified wastewater as Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors voted to begin environmental planning work on what would be one of the largest advanced water treatment plants in the world. The approval marks a significant milestone...

NEW ~ Watch Brave Blue World on Netflix, then join our March 30th, 11:00 a.m. panel discussion hosted by Pacific Institute and CWEA. Learn more and register > A recording of our October 14th Brave Blue World panel discussion. A new documentary film titled Brave Blue World examines how new technologies and innovations can create...

Albert Robles Center (ARC) for Water Recycling and Environmental Learning has been awarded LEED Platinum Certification, the highest rating offered to environmentally sustainable buildings. Only 5.7 percent of LEED projects in the United States have achieved this distinguished designation. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program rates the environmental sustainability of projects based on...

Regional San’s landmark recycled water program—previously known as the South County Ag Program—has been rebranded. Now known as Harvest Water, the program will be one of the largest water recycling projects in California and will deliver up to 50,000-acre feet per year of tertiary-treated recycled water to an estimated 16,000 acres of farm and habitat...

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) has funded 12 new Research Priority Program projects with a total funding amount of $2,125,000. This research allocation will be significantly leveraged with partnership funding and in-kind support. Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for these projects will be released in August 2020. The Research Priority Program is WRF’s largest strategic research program, addressing...

The East County Advanced Water Purification (AWP) Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Board of Directors unanimously approved water and wastewater service agreements this week, moving this significant drinking water project one-step closer to reality. These water and wastewater agreements are critical to the JPA’s eligibility for key Program financing opportunities. Water purchase agreements were approved between...

Coverage of biosolids and co-digestion supported by Anaergia Construction Underway at California’s Sterling Natural Resource Center, Incorporating Fibracast’s Advanced Membranes and Anaergia’s Anaerobic Digestion System Anaergia Inc. and its sister company Fibracast Ltd. are pleased to announce that they have been added to the team selected for the construction of the Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC)...

  West County Wastewater and EBMUD (East Bay Municipal Utility District) announced a recycled water partnership that will preserve valuable drinking water for the region and support West County Wastewater’s ongoing mission of environmental stewardship and protecting public health. Under an existing agreement, West County Wastewater sends the majority of its treated secondary wastewater to...

CWEA’s fourth free COVID-19 in CA webinar From April 30, 2020 The experts tell us the coronavirus is here to stay. How do water reuse and wastewater professionals fine tune their treatment processes to better deactivate/remove virus to protect themselves and their community? Is there even infectious virus in wastewater? Three experts in wastewater disinfection...

Today, at an event at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, D.C., EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhard joined federal, state, tribal, local and water sector partners to announce the National Water Reuse Action Plan: Collaborative Implementation (Version 1). The actions that EPA and its...

Systems approaching viability in field tests of Duke-led Gates Foundation “Reinvent the Toilet” project By Ken Kingery DUKE Pratt School of Engineering As legend has it, when French workers felt their livelihoods threatened by automation in the early 1900s, they flung their wooden shoes called sabots into the machines to stop them. Hence the word...

CWEA’s coverage of the water workforce is supported by WaterTalent Obstacles and paths to water operator careers By Katherine Saltzman Amid retirement surges across the water workforce, there are ongoing discussions about the urgency to recruit, train, and retain new professionals. Part of this effort involves establishing the water sector as an attractive career path...

Coverage of asset management stories are support by MentorAPM The Key to Transforming Utility Performance Water and wastewater utilities across the country are under enormous pressure today. In 2017, the Infrastructure Report Card assigned our nation’s wastewater systems a grade of D+, reflecting decades of insufficient investment to keep up with growth and expansion. It...

From Water Reuse California… WateReuse California and the National Water Research Institute released a guidance document for developing a standard operating procedure for bioanalytical testing for potable reuse. View Guidance Document NWRI facilitates the Bioanalytical Implementation Advisory Group (BIAG), which is working with staff from the California State Water Resources Control Board to develop standard operating procedures for...

From WateReuse… Reclamation Awards $1.6 Million for Water Reuse Research The Bureau of Reclamation announced that it has awarded $1.6 million to four WateReuse Association members to fund Title XVI water reclamation and reuse research studies. When non-federal cost-share contributions are included, these studies will accomplish more than $7.6 million in water reuse research. The...

Water Amplified: The Communication Revolution This year’s Summit will focus on addressing the critical issue of communications in the water sector, and we’re excited to announce Tom Kunetz and Erin Mosley as featured speakers. They design and conduct interactive workshops and engaging lectures on a variety of personal and professional development topics. Together they open...

Story by Brave Blue World Production Team Liam Neeson narrated Brave Blue World shown to international water community Uplifting stories of innovation and problem-solving inspires audience Grassroots screenings scheduled before European premiere Global water leaders, innovators and activists gathered for the world premiere of Brave Blue World on December 16th in Hollywood. The powerful documentary...

From USC news service A team led by USC Viterbi’s Adam Smith has found that purified water returned to Southern California aquifers often becomes contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a realization that could have major implications on the global water supply. By Avni Shah Wastewater recycling offers a variety of environmental benefits but also a big...

The Safe, Clean Water Program (SCW Program) is excited to announce the Fiscal Year 2020-21 and 2021-22 Regional call for projects. Fifty percent of the annual Special Parcel Tax revenue will be allocated to regional watershed-based Projects, Project concepts and Scientific Studies as described below. Definitions for all capitalized terms can be found here. Eligible Projects...

On July 18, 2019, Ms. Azya Jackson of City of Los Angeles – LA Sanitation & Environment presented the One Water LA 2040 Plan to a LABS dinner meeting group of 45-people in Downtown LA. The One Water LA 2040 Plan (Plan) takes a holistic and collaborative approach to consider all of the City’s water...

The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) Board of Directors voted to award the contract to construct the 30 million gallon per day (MGD) Final Expansion of the world-renowned Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) to Shimmick Construction Company, Inc. The overall project cost is $310 million with the construction portion being approximately $200 million. The...

The City of Los Angeles has completed the One Water LA 2040 Plan. A roadmap connecting plans, ideas, and people to arrive at better and more fiscally-responsible water planning solutions.    Meaning of One Water   The One Water LA Plan takes a holistic and collaborative approach to consider all water resources from surface water, ground water, potable water, wastewater, recycled...

  This article was produced and published by the Water Education Foundation as part of its Western Water news. The Foundation can be found at www.watereducation.org. Our thanks to WEF for permission to republish their article. By Gary Pitzer Water Education Foundation WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Lower flows damage equipment, concentrate waste and stink up neighborhoods;...

“Atmospheric River” is a meteorological term coined in the 1990s that’s recently entered common public usage. They are bands of concentrated moisture traveling in the air over a region.  Atmospheric rivers can contain as much moisture as major river, such as the Amazon. On February 5th, the Scripps’ Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes...

Today, the US Water Alliance and the UNC Environmental Finance Center are proud to release a new report, Strengthening Utilities through Consolidation: The Financial Impact. This report synthesizes the financial impacts of consolidating water utility service by looking at the real-world, diverse experiences of eight communities from across the country. There are tens of thousands...

Coverage of asset management topics is supported by MentorAPM AN INTERVIEW WITH WATER EXPERT PAUL BROWN California’s wastewater systems were designed decades ago with flow rates predicted to be much higher than what we’re seeing today. Corrosion, odor, grit, nutrients and less water for reuse are all consequences of declining sewer flows. So now what? To...

Public outreach programs can reap multiple benefits for utilities and other public agencies, including community support for projects and utility rate increases; third-party credibility with community and policymakers; increased awareness among community members about project issues; lasting relationships with community leaders; and, in many cases, better decisions. An effective public outreach program takes effort and...

  View this post on Instagram   Some of SoCal water’s best & brightest gathered today at the City of San Diego’s Utilities Training Center for an EPA Effective Utility Management workshop. We’re building the utilities of the future today! Kicked off by Don Jones, Center for Water Studies @cuyamacacollege & Ed McCormick, Past President...

State Water Board press release… Key Details Policy for Water Quality Control for Recycled Water was first drafted in 2009 and amended in 2013 Recycled water is water that is deemed suitable for a beneficial use after treatment An expert advisory panel made recommendations for monitoring constituents of emerging concern that were incorporated into the Policy One...

Moulton Niguel Water District is celebrating its 50th year of operating one of the state’s most successful water recycling programs, which reuses more than 2 billion gallons of water every year. As one of the first agencies to use recycled water in Orange County in the early 1960s, Moulton Niguel Water District now provides recycled water...

 The California Water Commission (Commission) recently announced that Regional San will receive $280.5 million—the maximum requested funding amount—in Proposition 1 grant funding to help make the South County Ag Program a reality for the Sacramento region. The South County Ag Program will deliver highly treated recycled water for agricultural irrigation in the southern portion...

Cool new video from LA Sanitation featuring: City of Los Angeles 2025 local water goal – One Water Los Angeles Donald C Tillman Water Reclamation Plant Advanced Water Purification demonstration project Ozone treatment option that was chosen LA Groundwater Replenishment project Featuring interviews with LABS Past President Bryan Trussell and member Wendy Broley.

The California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association (CA-NV AWWA) and California Water Environment Association (CWEA) have signed a memorandum of agreement to jointly develop the Advanced Water Treatment Operator (AWTO) Certification program. The certification exams are expected to be ready in the Spring of 2019. The certification will be open to all California...

The landmark Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) began operation in January, 2008. Located in Fountain Valley the facility is operated by the Orange County Water District (OCWD) using secondary effluent produced by the  Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD). State-of-the-art technologies including microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet disinfection are used to produce up to 70 million gallons...

CWEA Roundtable: How can we afford water system upgrades? A water Q&A with three of California’s top clean water leaders discussing “One Water”. How we can work together to break down silos in the water sector and welcome regulators and stakeholders together to solve these difficult challenges with us? Roundtable sponsored by CDM Smith. The...

Flush with Possibilities With a new water purification plant, Santa Clara Valley Water District is driving water reuse to advance reliable, sustainable water supplies.  On a sunny afternoon last spring, four Silicon Valley leaders took large swigs of recycled water to show that it’s clean enough…well…to drink. And how does that filtered, decontaminated, and disinfected...

An Interview with Garry Brown,  DPR Advisory Group Chair The State’s recent steps toward direct potable reuse (DPR) might seem like an out of the blue solution to many people. Not to Garry Brown, the Executive Director of OC Coastkeeper. A long-time veteran of Southern California’s battles over water and water quality, Garry has watched...

Below is the joint comment letter CWEA and CA NV AWWA have submitted focused on the operator certification piece of the DPR Report to the Legislature on the Feasibility of Developing Uniform Water Recycling Criteria for Direct Potable Reuse. Dear State Water Resources Control Board: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the State Water...

From US Water Alliance We are pleased to announce the release of the Water Equity Clearinghouse, an online database that showcases innovative and promising practices in equitable water management. We encourage you to visit the clearinghouse–users can search for organizations by focus area, strategies, populations served, location, and more. The clearinghouse showcases the work of utilities,...

WE&RF released a new research report on pretreatment standards for agencies interested in adding or expanding their water reuse facilities. The report features three California agencies: City of Los Angeles; City of San Diego and the Orange County Sanitation District. The project was funded by SoCal based Metropolitan Water District. The research project consisted of...

From WEF highlights…  Last year, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) formally began using the term, water resource recovery facility (WRRF), in place of wastewater treatment plant and other conventional names. A task force appointed by the WEF Committee Leadership Council was tasked with developing a list of new terms, discussing them, and selecting one to use. Water...