The city of Los Angeles set an ambitious plan to reduce its imported water supply 50% by the year 2025. To further their commitment to a more water resilient future they are aiming to use reclaimed water for half of the city’s water supply by 2035.[1] L.A. is being challenged to find innovative alternatives because locally sourcing such a large amount of water is not easy. However, the director of infrastructure for the mayor’s office Liz Crosson spoke with confidence when she said, “when we set that 50 percent goal we knew it was ambitious, but we also really feel […]

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the US needs more than $743 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades.[1] A new  piece of legislation called “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018” could help make those upgrades a reality. Bipartisan leaders from the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee recently released the bill for a low-cost lending program for water and sewer projects this month. Two weeks later, the Senate panel unanimously approved the bill. [2] This piece of legislation was created to protect the Great Lakes and prioritize upgrades to US water infrastructure. Within it is a provision that will […]

The $3 billion “Pure Water San Diego” recycling program is officially underway. The goal of the Pure Water program is to recycle enough wastewater to produce one-third of San Diego’s water supply by 2035. This three-phase plan aims to produce 83 million gallons of drinking water per day-creating a local water supply that is not only independent but also drought-proof. (1) The first phase of the Pure Water program will include: construction of the North City Pure Water Facility, the creation of new pipelines and pump stations, as well as runoff diversion from the aging wastewater treatment plant Point Loma […]

In the next 10 years capital expenditures on U.S. municipal water, stormwater infrastructure and wastewater will grow by a whopping 11 percent according to a recent report by Bluefield Research. The report states $683 billion is needed to address aging infrastructure, combined sewer overflows, and the demand increase on treatment plants and distribution networks by 2027. (1) More than half of the funds, about $376 billion, are allocated to the distribution and collection networks for water and wastewater. Of this spend 75% of the funds will go to pipes, of which 60% is dedicated to fixing the existing crumbling networks. Water […]

On February 23rd a piece of legislation addressing all aspects of the utilization of reclaimed water across Washington became effective. Lawmakers are confident this piece of legislation, Chapter 173-219 WAC, will ensure that reclaimed water supplies are more adequate, safe, and readily available to supplement existing water supplies for Washington residents. [1] This new rule establishes a regulatory framework for the generation, distribution, and use of reclaimed water by Washington state communities. Uses include: domestic, agricultural, industrial, recreational, and fish and wildlife habitat creation and enhancement purposes (including wetland enhancement). [2] The rule now applies to all existing and proposed […]