EPA Announces Development of Water Reuse Action Plan

The U.S. EPA announced the development of a Water Reuse Action Plan to facilitate discussions between federal, state and local water sector stakeholders. A draft of the plan is scheduled for release and public review in September at the Annual WateReuse Symposium in San Diego, Calif.

According to a press release by EPA, the Water Reuse Action Plan will seek to foster water reuse as an important component of integrated water resource management. EPA’s actions are part of a larger effort to better coordinate and focus taxpayer resources on some of the nation’s most challenging water resource concerns, including ensuring water availability and mitigating the risks posed by droughts. This includes working closely with the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal partners to collaboratively address western water supply, resiliency, and other resource management challenges.

EPA has previously supported water reuse efforts, including development of the 2017 Potable Reuse Compendium and Guidelines for Water Reuse, but the Water Reuse Action Plan is the first initiative of this magnitude that is coordinated across the water sector. Ongoing efforts by other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grand Water Security Challenge, and by various non-governmental organizations dedicated to water resources management, will be coordinated and leveraged as part of the overarching strategy to advance water reuse.

More information is available here.