The Orange County Water District (OCWD) applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for releasing the National Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) which was developed in collaboration with water sector organizations to accelerate adoption of water reuse.
The plan identifies priority actions and the leadership and collaboration that is needed between governmental and nongovernmental organizations to implement these actions. This is a significant step forward to diversify water portfolios and increase the supply of safe and reliable water.
Water sector collaborates on National Water Reuse Action Plan
“We commend EPA for making reuse a national priority,” said OCWD President Vicente Sarmiento. “There’s tremendous potential to expand these types of projects. In Southern California alone, there are 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater discharged to the ocean every day. Here in Orange County, we see wastewater as a resource and I am proud to say that we are tapping into that resource as we expand what is already known as the world’s largest water reuse project of its kind, the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). In 2023, the GWRS will produce 130 million gallons a day of water, which is enough for 1 million people.”
EPA announced its intent to facilitate the development of the WRAP in February 2019. National water organizations including the WateReuse Association, American Water Works Association, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, Water Environment Federation, and The Water Research Foundation worked in partnership with utilities, businesses, and governments to provide recommendations for the plan.
The WRAP identifies tools related to education, policy, technology development, research and a variety of other mechanisms to increase the likelihood that more cities and states will consider incorporating water reuse into their water management strategy.
