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News About the North Bay Water Reuse Authority

22 Mar 2016

North Bay Water Reuse Program Representative, Supervisor David Rabbitt, participates in White House Water Summit with spotlight on innovative water projects

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2016

Contact:
David Rabbitt, NBWRA Chair
Sonoma County Supervisor
& Water Agency Director
Phone: (707) 565-3754

Water Summit to look at how we can boost water sustainability through the greater utilization of water-efficient and water reuse technologies

Santa Rosa, CA

Tuesday, March 22, 2016—World Water Day—the Administration is hosting a White House Water Summit to raise awareness of the national importance of water, and to highlight new commitments and announcements that the Administration and non-Federal institutions are making to build a sustainable water future.

The North Bay Water Reuse Authority (NBWRA) is an organization of water and wastewater agencies working together on regional water recycling projects in the North Bay region of Napa, Sonoma and Marin counties and has been invited to participate in the White House Water Summit.

“It is an honor to be recognized for the North Bay’s innovative water projects,” said Sonoma County Supervisor and Water Agency Director David Rabbitt, who also serves as chair of the NBWRA. “We will be participating with other water planners and leaders nationwide who have developed innovative approaches to sustainable water management.”

Safe, sufficient, and reliable water resources are essential to the functioning of every aspect and sector of U.S. society, including agricultural and energy production, industry and economic growth, human and environmental health, and national security. As climate change affects our Nation’s water supplies, and our population continues to grow and shift, it will become increasingly important to build a sustainable water future. To reduce and mitigate the incidence and impact of water stresses on U.S. communities, it is essential to develop, implement, and deploy the type of sustainable, integrated, and long-term water-management strategies that will be highlighted during the Water Summit.

The North Bay Water Reuse Program (NBWRP)

The NBWRP is comprised of elected officials from three counties, and board members and general managers from seven water supply and wastewater districts.  Through the efforts of this regional group, 30,000 AFY of treated wastewater – currently discharged into San Francisco Bay – has been identified and projects initiated to redirect this valuable resource toward building regional water supply reliability.

This group provides a forum for discussions from diverse water sectors; agency managers with different mandates have ‘learned each other’s business’ and now understand we can no longer operate in silos.  We all have to work together to manage our limited resources if we are to have a secure and resilient water supply for the future.

Commitment being put forward by NBWRP Director Rabbitt at the Water Summit:

“The North Bay Water Reuse Program is committed to developing a $250 million portfolio of recycled water and water management infrastructure projects to deliver a new, carbon free, sustainable, drought proof water supply for agricultural irrigation, environmental restoration, and municipal purposes.  The projects will capture and put to beneficial use up to 25,000 acre-feet per year (AFY) of recycled water as new supply through a diverse portfolio of projects designed to meet the needs of   urban, agricultural and environmental water users. These projects include: cutting-edge water treatment using advanced filtration and UV processes, small-scale reservoirs, storage tanks, distribution systems and groundwater management facilities.”

Rabbitt expressed, “As residents of the northern San Francisco Bay area, we embrace the rapid emergence and adoption of leading-edge technology. However, we are also home to a sophisticated community that demands a safe, high-quality water supply for their homes, businesses and the environment.” The NBWRP facilitates an informed ‘big-picture review’ as member agencies begin to consider adopting new technologies including: regulatory parameters, alternative energy options, long-term end-user needs, future indirect and direct potable options for drinking water, best and safest approaches to treating and delivering water, project design and operation to meet multiple community needs and, how are we going to share the cost of paying for it.

Today’s White House Water Summit announcements include:

  • Nearly $4 billion in private capital committed to investment in a broad range of water-infrastructure projects nationwide. This includes $1.5 billion from Ultra Capital to finance decentralized and scalable water-management solutions, and $500 million from Sustainable Water to develop water reclamation and reuse systems.
  • More than $1 billion from the private sector over the next decade to conduct research and development into new technologies. This includes $500 million from GE to fuel innovation, expertise, and global capabilities in advanced water, wastewater, and reuse technologies.
  • A Presidential Memorandum and supporting Action Plan on building national capabilities for long-term drought resilience in the United States, including by setting drought resilience policy goals, directing specific drought resilience activities to be completed by the end of the year, and permanently establishing the National Drought Resilience Partnership as an interagency task force responsible for coordinating drought-resilience, response, and recovery efforts.
  • Nearly $35 million this year in Federal grants from the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support cutting-edge water science;
  • The release of a new National Water Model that will dramatically enhance the Nation’s river-forecasting capabilities by delivering forecasts for approximately 2.7 million locations, up from 4,000 locations today (a 700-fold increase in forecast density).

Moving forward, the Administration will continue to carefully examine and take action in areas where further effort is needed to protect our Nation’s water resources and build a sustainable water future.

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Commitments to Action on Building a Sustainable Water Future
The Executive Office of the President, 3/22/16

For more information about the North Bay Water Reuse Authority, visit https://www.nbwra.org/

To contact NBWRA email info@nbwra.org or call (707) 235-8965.

World Water Day is an international observance and an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference. World Water Day dates back to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development where an international observance for water was recommended. The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day. It has been held annually since then. Each year, UN-Water – the entity that coordinates the UN’s work on water and sanitation – sets a theme for World Water Day corresponding to a current or future challenge.