2019 Water Reuse Program
In 2018, WRF received a grant totaling $4.5M from the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to support non-potable and potable reuse research. This funding has been leveraged by WRF and other key partners, including Metropolitan Water District (CA), utilities in CA and across the US, engineering firms, and manufacturing companies to fund WRF reuse research launched in 2017 – 2019. The funding from the SWB is broken into two grants, as follows:
State Water Board Grant 1
The first grant ($1M, D1705002) funds 5 projects which were recommended by the SWRCB Expert Panel in their report on the feasibility of developing criteria for DPR. The SWB’s Division of Drinking Water will use these research findings to develop regulations for DPR, driven by the CA legislation SB 574 (2017) which established a deadline of 2023.
With the direction and oversight of the Coordinating Committee (Adam Olivieri and Jim Crook, former co-chairs of the Expert Panel, and representatives from SWB), WRF launched 5 projects in late 2018:
- Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment: Implement a probabilistic method (Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment, QMRA) to confirm the necessary removal values for viruses, Cryptosporidium and Giardia based on a literature review and new pathogen data collected, and apply this method to evaluate the performance and reliability of DPR treatment trains.
- Pathogen Data Collection: Require monitoring of pathogens in raw wastewater to develop better empirical data on concentrations and variability.
- Feasibility of Outbreak reporting: Investigate the feasibility of collecting raw wastewater pathogen concentration data associated with community outbreaks of disease, and implement where possible.
- Options to reduce chemical spikes: Identify suitable options for final treatment processes that can provide some “averaging” with respect to potential chemical peaks, particularly for chemicals that have the potential to persist through advanced water treatment.
- Low Molecular Weight Compounds: Develop more comprehensive analytical methods to identify unknown contaminants, particularly low molecular weight compounds potentially in wastewater that may not be removed by advanced treatment and is not presently detectable by current regulatory monitoring approaches.
State Water Board Grant 2
Grant 2 (D1705003) uses the WRF Research Priority program process for approximately $2M research on potable reuse and $1.5M on non-potable reuse.
Phase 1 (RFPs launched in 2017)
• 4832 - Evaluation of CEC Removal by Ozone/BAF Treatment in Potable Reuse Applications
• 4833 - Understanding Wastewater Treatment Performance on Advanced Water Treatment Processes and Finished Water Quality
Phase 2 (RFPs launched in 2018)
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Proj #4953
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Considerations and Blending Strategies for Drinking Water System Integration with Alternative Water Supplies
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400,000.00
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Proj #4954
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Integration of High Frequency Performance Data for Microbial and Contaminant Control in Potable Reuse Systems
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400,000.00
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Proj #4955
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Indicator Viruses for Advanced Physical Treatment Process Performance Confirmation
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300,000.00
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Proj #4958
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New Techniques, Tools, and Validation Protocols for Achieving Log Removal Credit across NF and RO Membranes
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350,000.00
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Proj #4960
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Review of Industrial Contaminants Associated with Water Quality or Adverse Performance Impacts for Potable Reuse Treatment
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200,000.00
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Proj #4961
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The Use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Metagenomics Approaches to Evaluate Anti-Microbial Resistance, Plant Challenge, Biological Removal Processes
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300,000.00
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Proj #4963
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Developing a New Foundational Understanding of SAR – Soil Structure Interactions to Provide Management Options for Reclaimed Water Use in Agriculture
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200,000.00
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Proj #4993
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Potential of Oilfield Produced Water for Irrigation in California
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150,000.00
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Proj #4957
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Compiling Evidence of Pathogen Reduction through Managed Aquifer Recharge and Recovery
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100,000.00
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Proj #4959
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Evaluation of Tier 3 Validation Protocol for Membrane Bioreactors to Achieve Higher Pathogen Credit for Potable Reuse
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25,000.00
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Proj #4962
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Identifying the Amount of Wastewater that is Available and Feasible to Recycle in California
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105,000.00
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Proj #4964
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Assessing the State of Knowledge and Impacts of Recycled Water Irrigation on Agricultural Crops
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120,000.00
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