Key Considerations for Municipalities Developing or Expanding Water Reuse Strategies Using Advanced Water Treatment Technologies

4. Ensure effective operation and maintenance

Finally, a primary consideration for water agencies considering implementing a reuse program must be how they will effectively operate and maintain the facility with proper monitoring, optimization, and compliance. As recently discussed in a panel on operations at the annual WateReuse 2024 symposium in Denver, the key issues appear to be: availability and recruitment of qualified personnel; new or yet-to-be-developed operator certification requirements for potable water reuse facilities; adequate training to maintain the integrity and quality of operations, maintenance, and monitoring activities; and retention of these qualified personnel.

A key technical hurdle that agencies face is how to issue permits relative to operator certification levels. When a new permit is issued for a new or changed facility, such as during an expansion, operator certification requirements are provided or updated. OCWD experienced such an update during its last final expansion project, which added 30 MGD of capacity. Although OCWD already operated an IPR facility, there was a new requirement for Advanced Water Treatment (AWT) certification issued by the California Department of Drinking Water (DDW), which oversees IPR facilities and operator requirements. In this case, OCWD was able to negotiate how many operators were required to obtain certification and how much time they had to obtain it, which was necessary based on the number of existing operators without recent certification.

To address the talent problem, many agencies have developed a social media presence for outreach and recruitment purposes, but this is not necessarily unique to those considering a reuse facility or those who already own one. These efforts have expanded to entry-level, secondary, and college-level programs to generate interest in the water and wastewater fields in general, with the hope that a larger pool of candidates will emerge in the future. To recruit and retain employees, agencies typically focus on benefits that include financial incentives, flexible contracts, and a focus on good culture. These softer benefits can include paying for licenses or certifications, as OCWD provides to its employees, or hosting monthly showcases and awards for employees who exceed expectations, as the city of Phoenix has implemented in its annual “Thank a Water Hero Day” and Pelican Award employee incentive programs.

These key considerations for any agency considering developing or expanding its reuse program are a good place to start, but connecting with experts in planning, design, and construction is key to creating a personalized strategy for your specific approach. Leveraging the knowledge and experience of professionals who have the right experience will provide a comprehensive plan and a smooth process for any agency embarking on its reuse efforts.