CWEA, along with its Clean Water Summit Partners, wrote the Department of Recycling and Recovery on August 26 asking for its attention in resolving a policy decision that would stall popular recycling programs at wastewater treatment plants.
From the letter:
Specifically, we are concerned that if CalRecycle allows permit issuance and requirements to remain within the discretion of individual LEAs, it will serve as a disincentive for POTWs to accept and treat fats, oils, and grease (FOG), septage, and food waste. An additional unnecessary permitting process will inhibit state initiatives, which promote both renewable energy production and the diversion of organic material from landfills. In addition, the policy conflicts with the intent of Title 27, which was adopted to avoid jurisdictional overlap whenever feasible. Therefore, the Clean Water Summit Partners offer several alternative solutions to resolve this matter in a way that will maximize the amount of FOG and Food Waste accepted at POTWs.
Read the full comment letter and proposed solutions
The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) recently published a White Paper that identifies 10 key issues that need to be addressed by regulatory agencies and water utilities in California interested in pursuing direct potable reuse – or, the introduction of highly-treated recycled water into a drinking water distribution system – as a viable option to satisfy the State’s future water demands. Download it here: www.nwri-usa.org.
The recently released White Paper on Graywater, sponsored by the Water Environment Federation, WateReuse Association and American Water Works Association, considers graywater reuse as it relates to municipal water reuse. The report describes various elements of graywater including sources, characteristics, and potential concerns. The report also discusses a variety of graywater reuse topics including its history, practices and trends, standards and guidelines, infrastructure elements and different types of systems, public health and economic aspects, impact on municipal water recycling, policy and planning approaches, and its place within the municipal water recycling framework. WEF members can log in to read the full report and its findings.
The public perception towards water recycling is getting a bit more positive – this time the architecture blog mammoth hails water reuse as the future.
The blog names the innovative Groundwater Replenishment System in Fountain Valley as one of the top architecture projects of the decade. The plant is jointly owned by the Orange County Water District and Orange County Sanitation District.
Recycled Water: What Goes Around… Comes Around
Attendees for this one-day workshop will gain a better understanding of recycled water issues and trends, upcoming regulations in California, and key factors for successful implementation of water recycling programs.
Northern California:
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Bay Café Clubhouse and Restaurant
1875 Embarcadero Rd
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Paul Friedlander, Carollo Engineers, Moderator
Southern California:
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts
1955 Workman Mill Rd
Whittier, CA 90601
Phil Ackman, LACSD, Moderator
Featured speakers:
- Fran Spivy-Weber, SWQCB
- Heather Collins, CDPH
- Andrew Salveson, Carollo Engineers
- Rich Nagel, West Basin MWD
- Shivaji Deshmukh, OCWD
- George Tchobanoglous, UC Davis
Earn up to 6.2 CWEA and/or Calif. Dept of Health Contact Hours!
In August, with California heading toward a fourth year of drought, the state implemented an emergency adoption of a revised graywater code, which allowed homeowners to install clothes washers or other single-fixture residential graywater systems in their homes without a construction permit as long as they followed 12 guidelines. A new UCLA report reviews the effort:
The State of California earns an overall Grade B+. First, for moving forward to address the need to increase California’s water portfolio and for recognizing the potential of graywater recycling and reuse; and second, for easing graywater permitting requirements, allowing the use of a variety of technologies. But the State receives a Grade B- for providing insufficient public information and guidance regarding graywater recycling technologies and regulations.
The report urges the state to continue exploring the potential of graywater recycling in order to meet outdoor water supply demand. In particular, it urges coordinated public assistance in installing and running safe systems.
Michael Fulkerson of East Bay MUD (credit: USA Today)
The innovative food receiving system at East Bay’s wastewater treatment plant takes in 100-220 tons of food waste each week from local bakeries and restaurants and runs it through the digesters to produce clean, green renewable energy.
According to the article…
If 50% of the USA’s food waste went through a similar process as the one here, there’d be enough power for 2.5 million homes a year, the EPA says.
The food-scrap project “hasn’t been a cakewalk,” Director of Wastewater David Williams told USA Today. (David is a CWEA member).
The Legislature on November 4 finally agreed to a set of five measures to improve California’s water reliability – particularly efforts to sustain the Sacramento Delta ecosystem. Part of the package is an $11-billion bond the Legislature approved for the November 2010 ballot – voters get to decide if it goes through our not. The bond may include funding for wastewater recycling projects.
“I am so proud that the Legislature, Democrats and Republicans, came together and tackled one of the most complicated issues in our state’s history,” Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a statement. “This comprehensive water package is an historic achievement.”
The five parts of the package are:
- Do away with the CalFed program and Bay Delta Authority to establish a seven-member governing council to oversee both restoration of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which supplies water to 23 million Californians.
- Mandate a 20 percent reduction in urban per capita water use by Dec. 31, 2020.
- Begin the first-ever groundwater monitoring program in the state, wresting control of the process from local authorities.
- Prevent illegal diversions and increase fines for those found stealing water.
- Pursue funding for all of the above.
There are two possible funding programs for wastewater treatment projects:
- $75-million for rural wastewater treatment plants
- $1-billion for water recycling and desal projects
SacBee has a list of funded projects.
The $33-billion appropriation bill for fiscal year 2010 now goes to President Obama for his signature. It includes funding for dozens of California water recycling projects including…
- Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Project – $1,215,000
- City of Corona Water Recycling and Reuse Project – $500,000
- Hi Desert Water District Wastewater Collection and Reuse Project – $1,000,000
- Irvine Basin Groundwater and Surface Water Development Project – $487,000
- Long Beach Area Reclamation Project – $634,000
- Long Beach Desalination Research and Development Project – $670,000
- North Bay Water Reuse Project – $200,00
- Riverside-Corona Feeder – $1,000,000
- San Diego Area Water Reclamation -$2,000,000
- San Gabriel Basin Project – $89,000
- San Jose Area Water Reclamation/Reuse Program – $200,000
- Watsonville Area Water Recycling Project – $750,000
Ostara's Struvite Reactors generate 1-ton of pellet fertilizer per day at the Durham Wastewater Treatment Plant in Oregon. (credit: Ostara)
As the industry works to control phosphorus in final effluent the farming industry sees the phosphorus as an endless, cheap supply of a major fertilizer – at a time when phosphorus is getting more expensive.
The November issue of Scientific American dives into Ostara’s process of striping phosphorus from wastewater and turning it into a pelletized, slow release fertilizer called CrystalGreen for farmers and nurseries. According to studies the reactors remove up to 90% of P and 20% of ammonia from anaerobically digested sludge.
“Having a local source of high-quality slow-release sustainable fertilizer is a great thing,” says Jeff Freeman, a regional sales manager at Wilco which distributes the pellets. “It’s something our customers are looking for, and the product has performed outstandingly.”
First biosolids, now phosphorus for farmers – who knew so many wonderful things could be recycled from wastewater? Oh that’s right – we knew.
Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies website>
Clean Water Services operates the treatment plant.
** Also – on Dec. 9th WEF is hosting an on-line webinar “Sidestream Treatment for Nutrient Removal and Recovery” which includes a presentation by Rob Baur of Clean Water Services. Click the link to register BEFORE the webinar.
(hat tip: Victor Santa Cruz. Want to recommend a story? Forward it to us!)
