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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) announced the pending development of what it describes as a “Water Reuse Action Plan” (“Plan”).
EPA states that the Plan will leverage the expertise of both industry and government to ensure the effective use of the nation’s water resources.
The federal agency references water reuse as an element of integrated water resource management. It projects discussions among federal, state, and water sector stakeholders. Further, additional partnerships are planned in the development and deployment of the Plan.
The Plan will be released for public review in September 2019 at the Annual WaterReuse Symposium in San Diego, California.
Opportunities for reuse will be identified along with challenges. These are stated to include:
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Technological improvements, including development, piloting, validation, and data considerations;
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Regulatory/policy analysis at all levels of government, including public health considerations and addressing barriers to progress;
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Financial initiatives, including expansion and clarity in available funding mechanisms;
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Performance requirements, including efforts to ensure the quality of reused water is appropriate for the intended purpose;
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Access to water use and availability data, including the encouragement of watershed-based information sharing; and
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Outreach opportunities, including efforts to ensure public understanding of reused water as part of integrated water management
A copy of the news release can be found here.
