WRAP MONTHLY UPDATE – FEBRUARY 2022

Reuse and Action Highlights

For more details about the following highlights and events, please visit the Recent and Upcoming Water Reuse Activities page.

• Onsite Water Recycling: An Innovative Approach to Solving an Old Problem – The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission published this free e-book to help inspire utilities and government leaders to consider implementing onsite non-potable water treatment systems (ONWS) as an effective strategy for long-term water resource and resilience planning. The e-book includes stories, projects, and lessons learned from numerous people around the world to encourage transformation across the water sector (Action 3.4: Develop Research and Tools to Support ONWS).
• Gap Analysis and Research Plan for Produced Water Reuse Outside of the Oil and Gas Sector – The New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium published a paper titled “A Gap Analysis and Research Plan for the Reuse of Produced Water Addressing the Technical, Economic, and Health and Safety Risks of Fit-for-Purpose Reuse.” This document addresses topics such as improved produced water quantity and quality sampling, analysis, and data access; toxicity testing standards development and risk analysis; regulatory agency cooperation and collaboration; and public education and outreach (Action 4.2: Implement New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium).
• Water Reuse/Advanced Water Treatment Training Resources – The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and EPA compiled available water reuse training opportunities, including location, links to the program, and additional information. This compilation may not be fully comprehensive. Please email Erin Messner (emessner@awwa.org) to contribute additional information (Action 9.2: Support and Promote Opportunities for Creating a Skilled Workforce).
• Water Reuse Recognition in the Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) Program – EPA’s George F. Ames Performance and Innovation in the SRF Creating Environmental Success (PISCES) program celebrates innovation demonstrated by Clean Water SRF programs and assistance recipients. Twenty-seven projects by state or local governments, public utilities, and private entities were highlighted, including three reuse projects:
  • Bartlesville Municipal Authority in Oklahoma for the indirect potable water reuse solution project (page 7).
  • Sienna Plantation in Texas for the regional wastewater improvements project (page 17).
  • Murmac Farms in Pennsylvania for its agriculture BMPs project (page 15).
     

Activities and Events March 7 – Request for Applications closes for EPA’s Innovative Water Technologies for Lagoon Wastewater Systems in Small Communities research grant (request for applications). March 15 – Funding opportunity closes for U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART: Title XVI Congressionally Authorized Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects (application link). March 15 – Funding opportunity closes for U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI WIIN Act Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects (application link). March 15 – National Alliance for Water Innovation’s (NAWI) Pilot Program Request for Information (RFI) response period closes. Information from the RFI will be used to develop a Pilot Program Request for Proposals to build small-scale water reuse/desalination treatment systems (RFI).

Spotlight on Aquifer Storage and Recovery

The Hawks Prairie Ponds in Lacey, Washington circulate reclaimed water that then runs into groundwater recharge basins and replenishes groundwater supplies.

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is a subsurface storage practice that helps to increase resilience by protecting water supplies from evaporation, extreme weather events, and pollutants. The following WRAP actions and outputs are designed to increase the accessibility of ASR practices.

• Recently, EPA sought research applications to develop cost-benefit tools to support Enhanced Aquifer Recharge (EAR) as a viable, safe, and cost-effective water management strategy. The grants are anticipated to be awarded in fall 2022 (Action 7.7).
• The Ground Water Protection Council’s (GWPC) Aquifer Storage and Recovery-Managed Aquifer Recharge (ASR-MAR) Workgroup hosted a series of webinars to increase the understanding of current ASR practices (Action 7.4).

  • ASR & Aquifer Recharge Wells in Florida

  • Managed Aquifer Recharge in California: Long-Term Projects & New Emphasis Under New Groundwater Law

  • What’s new with EPA? Reuse, Underground Injection Control, Stormwater

  • Tools for Planning, Development, and Improvement of ASR Projects: Siting and Recovery Efficiency Assessments

  • Understanding and Minimizing Arsenic Mobilization in ASR Projects

• Enhanced Aquifer Recharge of Stormwater in the United States: State of the Science Review. In this report, EPA and collaborators examine the factors that influence the performance of EAR using stormwater in different development and hydrogeologic settings (Action 7.4).

• Influence of Stormwater on Groundwater Quality and Aquifer Recharge. This webinar highlights ongoing EPA and EPA-supported research investigating the application and potential impacts to water quality using EAR technologies.

For more reuse resources by topic, visit this page.

 

If you have progress or news on WRAP actions or reuse activities that you would like EPA’s water reuse team to consider for inclusion in an upcoming monthly status update, please email waterreuse@epa.gov.