The Federal Interagency Working Group on Water Reuse (Working Group) has submitted its first report to Congress detailing efforts to nationally advance the adoption of water recycling that can be used for agriculture and irrigation, potable water, groundwater replenishment, industrial processes, and environmental restoration.
Established in May 2022 under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), the Working Group is staffed by 15 federal agencies—led by the Environmental Protection Agency—that are tasked with developing and coordinating actions, tools, and resources to lead in the promotion of the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP), according to the report, which is required by the IIJA.
The Working Group is directed to organize federal programs and policies that support the adoption of water reuse and identifies additional opportunities through the programs and activities of each agency, and it sought to improve public perception of water reuse to help foster community support of water reuse programs, the report says.
Furthermore, the Working Group consulted with representatives from industry, the research community, non-government organizations (including the WateReuse Association), and government to leverage expertise from those entities, says the report. That effort by the Working Group resulted in 157 partner organizations contributing to the implementation of the WRAP, which is organized around 11 strategic themes, including:
- Integrated watershed action that enables consideration of water reuse with integrated and collaborative action at the watershed scale.
- Policy coordination that coordinates and integrates federal, state, tribal and local water reuse programs and policies.
- Science and specifications that compiles and refines fit-for-purpose specifications.
- Technology development and validation to promote technology development, deployment and validation.
- Water information availability to improve availability of water (quality and quantity) information.
- Finance support to facilitate financial support for water reuse.
- Integrated research to integrate and coordinate research on water reuse.
- Outreach and communications to improve outreach and communication on water reuse.
- Workforce development to support a talented and dynamic workforce.
- Metrics for success to consider water reuse metrics that support goals and measure progress.
- International collaboration to build on the experiences of international partners.
In addition, despite not being formed until May 2022, the report summarizes the Working Group’s activities from January 2022 through January 2024. Those activities include:
- Coordinated IIJA-related activities and funding opportunities.
- Presented agency initiatives related to water reuse to inspire similar activities across federal agencies.
- Added or implemented 60 actions involving federal departments and agencies as part of the WRAP.
- Integrated water reuse into a multitude of federal programs and policies.
- Worked with the WateReuse Association to organize a water reuse delegation to Israel.
- Supported information exchange with water-reuse practitioners and experts at the annual WateReuse Symposium.
In a written statement supplied to The Driller, Patricia Sinicropi, executive director of the WateReuse Association applauded the Working Group’s organization of water reuse programs and policies. “The Federal Interagency Working Group on Water Reuse and the National Water Reuse Action Plan are critical tools for breaking down silos and coordinating action across the federal government and beyond,” the statement says.
