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WRAP Monthly Update - April 2022


WRAP MONTHLY UPDATE – APRIL 2022

Reuse and Action Highlights

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

Establishment of the Water Reuse Interagency Working Group

The Water Reuse Interagency Working Group was formally established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to develop and coordinate actions, tools, and resources to advance water reuse across the United States. EPA launched a new webpage on the Working Group that lists the 15 federal agencies that are participating and continuing leadership on the WRAP. It also describes key responsibilities of the Working Group and the ways in which these duties will be fulfilled. EPA highlighted quotes that display the enthusiasm and importance of this critical topic across the federal government in a press release that announced the Working Group.  

Upcoming Reuse Activities and Events

  • May 27 – Public comment period for new WRAP actions introduced in the latest WRAP quarterly update closes (email waterreuse@epa.gov).
  • June 1 – 2022-2023 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I solicitation informational webinar–includes reuse (registration link; proposed topics).
  • June 12-15 – AWWA’s ACE22 Conference featuring various WRAP-related presentations (schedule).
  • June 29 – National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) Pilot Program request for proposals (RFP) concept paper submission deadline. The RFP is seeking proposals to design, build, test, and/or operate small-scale water reuse and desalination treatment systems (RFP).
  • NEW EPA Report Promotes Equitable Water Supply Management and Reuse Through Integrated Planning and Partnerships – This report provides an overview of the Urban Waters WRAP River System Project. Stakeholders in two locations - the San Antonio River (TX) and the Verde River (AZ) - identified systemic barriers and opportunities for collaborative actions to integrate water reuse and water equity considerations into water resource management at the river system scale. The report highlights lessons learned and applies water equity mapping using EPA’s Recovery Potential Screening tool (Action 1.4: Leverage EPA’s Water Partnership Programs).
  • AWWA Connections Article Highlighting WRAP Collaboration – AWWA International Council members Clémentine Stip (World Bank) and Dr. Rabia Chaudhry (EPA) leveraged their common interests and networks to create Action 11.3: Develop and Highlight Case Studies Relevant to International Contexts. This article articulates the motivation behind the WRAP action as the team aims to exchange knowledge and innovative examples of water reuse solutions that reflect shared challenges.
  • WIFIA Loan Awarded for Water Reuse in California – EPA announced a $120 million WIFIA loan to the Inland Empire Utilities Agency to implement its Regional Wastewater System Improvements Program. Through this loan, EPA is supporting high-quality recycled water and access to reliable, long-term wastewater treatment for western San Bernardino County, CA.
  • Water Reuse in EPA’s U.S.-Mexico Border 2025 Program – Promoting beneficial water reuse and trash-free waters initiatives along the U.S.-Mexico border region requires collaborative and multi-jurisdictional planning efforts and actions. The U.S.-Mexico Border 2025 program is a five-year binational effort designed to protect the environment and public health in the U.S.-Mexico border region. The Border 2025 Water Goal outlines six objectives to address related challenges, including, “promote beneficial reuse of treated wastewater and conservation of water and energy” (Objective 4).
  • 2022 EPA Nutrient Reduction Memorandum – In this memo, EPA announced a strategy to deepen existing partnerships and foster new collaborations to reduce excess nutrients in our nation’s waters. Under Strategy 3 – Utilize EPA’s Clean Water Act Authorities to Drive Progress, Innovation, and Collaboration – EPA prioritizes reducing nutrient loads from point sources. This includes supporting states by providing information on innovative treatment technologies analysis of performance, and management approaches such as water reuse.
  • FDA Request for Comments on New Approach to Improve Safe Disposal of Prescription Opioid Analgesics – Through June 21, 2022, FDA is seeking public comment on a potential modification to the Opioid Analgesic Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requiring that mail-back envelopes be dispensed and education on safe opioid analgesics disposal be provided in an outpatient setting. Opioid analgesics sent back to Drug Enforcement Administration-registered facilities in mail-back envelopes would be incinerated instead of entering the water supply and landfills.
  • Pacific Institute Report on the Potential of Water Efficiency, Reuse, and Stormwater Capture in California – The Untapped Potential of California’s Urban Water Supply: Water Efficiency, Water Reuse, and Stormwater Capture report quantifies opportunities to reduce urban water use and bolster local water supplies through increased reuse and stormwater capture.
  • Texas Living Waters Project Report on Onsite Reuse Implementation to Enhance Housing Affordability – The Ensuring One Water Works for All: Opportunities for Realizing Water Reuse in Affordable Housing report reviews barriers and opportunities for expanding onsite non-potable water reuse systems in affordable housing. The report details the benefits of onsite reuse; identifies existing barriers; describes available funding sources; outlines specific recommendations for cities, utilities, and developers; and provides case studies of existing affordable housing projects that have successfully integrated onsite water reuse.

A federal panel at the National Water Policy Fly-In featured representatives from Reclamation, EPA, and DOE. Photo credit: WateReuse Association.

Recent Events

  • National Water Policy Fly-In – EPA’s National Program Leader for Water Reuse, Dr. Sharon Nappier, provided an update on key WRAP accomplishments and future directions as part of a federal panel. The event, hosted by NACWA, WEF, WRF, and WateReuse in Washington, DC, as part of Water Week 2022, serves as an opportunity for water professionals to advocate the importance of water investments to policymakers.
  • Penn State University’s Wastewater Reuse Conference –EPA’s National Water Reuse Expert, Dr. Rabia Chaudhry, presented at Penn State’s Wastewater Reuse Conference to highlight the WRAP, REUSExplorer, and new efforts to advance agricultural reuse (Action 1.6: Address Barriers to Water Reuse in Agriculture Through Improved Communication and Partnerships). The conference highlighted 50 years of the University’s research and management of the Living Filter, a year-round effluent spray irrigation system.

If you have questions about water reuse, 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.

 

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