Law of the Farm Principles Apply to Developing
Potable Reuse
Alan H. Plummer, Jr. P.EJune 14, 2012
Principles of the Farm
Principles of Farming
Takes time
Takes knowledgeand effort
Is a process
FarmingBegins with “THE END” in Mind
• Meet human and livestock food needs
• Apply effective farming practices– Historical successful processes– Research to advance farming technology– Implement proven technology advancements– Harvest a safe and quality product– Maintain the confidence of:
• Agricultural community • Regulatory entities • Public and Policy Makers ?
Prepare the Soil
• Know the soil characteristics and its capacity
• Prepare the soil• Cultivate the soil• Fertilize the soil
• Cannot procrastinate
Plant the Seed
• Must select the right seed• Plant at specific time• Plant the right way• Cannot procrastinate
Nurture
• Weed• Water• Hard Work• Cannot procrastinate
From sunrise… …to sunset
HarvestGood Quality and Safe Products
Principles of DevelopingPotable Reuse
Takes time
Takes sound scienceand technology / effort
Is a process
Potable Reuse DevelopmentProcesses
• Potable Reuse processes are evolving to address technology, regulatory, and public awareness issues
• This presentation is about technology process considerations
Potable Reuse DevelopmentBegins with “THE END” in Mind
• Reuse to help meet Texas water demands– State Water Plan – 1,500,000 acre feet/year– Potential Additional – 800,000 acre feet/year
• “The End” - Potable Reuse – Provide Dependable Safe Potable Reuse water– Gain Confidence of:
• Technical and scientific community ??• Regulatory entities ???• Public and Policy Makers ????
(Note: Define “The End” based on Sound Science)
Prepare the Reuse Water(Prepare the Soil)
• Define critical treated wastewater
quality characteristics TPDES Discharge Permit Criteria Unregulated constituents? Specific micro-organisms?
• Provide source water protection
Prepare the Reuse Water(Prepare the Soil)
• Prevent introduction of certain industrial constituents into wastewater
• Provide effective reliable wastewater treatment operations
• Perform monitoring to characterize treated wastewater
• Produce a high quality treated wastewater
Provide the Right Technology(Plant the Right Seed)
• Define Potable Reuse water critical characteristics ?? SDWA criteria Unregulated constituents? Specific micro-organisms?
• Establish required treatment performance
• Select candidate treatment processes
Apply the Right Technology(Plant the Right Seed)
• Perform appropriate research and pilot-scale testing to achieve targeted goals
• Select and scale up treatment processes to reliable full-scale operations
Implement and Operate the Right Technology
(Nurture the Right Way)
• Design and construct Potable Reuse water advanced treatment facilities
• Provide consistent and effective treatment operations
• Provide real-time monitoring
Harvest Success Factorsfor
Potable Reuse
• Define “The End”• Safe and Dependable Potable Reuse• Right level of Risk
• Don’t Procrastinate - Develop Texas• Technical Process • Regulatory Process• Public Awareness Process
TWCA MembershipKey Harvest Stakeholders
TWCA 2012 Reuse Committee Charge (1)
1. Identify impediments to implementing Potable Reuse in Texas related to:
• Technology
• Rules and regulations
• Public awareness and education
• Funding
TWCA 2012 Reuse Committee Charge (1) (cont.)
2. Identify potential strategies for removing or mitigating identified impediments.
3. Define actions to develop potential strategies, based on sound science and technology, for removing or mitigating identified impediments.
TWCA 2012 Reuse Committee Charge (1) (cont.)
4. Coordinate efforts of the Reuse Committee with other TWCA committees including but not limited to Water Quality, Water Laws, and Federal Affairs.
5. Coordinate efforts of the Reuse Committee with other water professional organizations including WateReuse Texas, Texas Section of AWWA, and WEAT.
TWCA 2012 Reuse Committee Charge (1) (cont.)
6. Coordinate efforts of the Reuse Committee with TCEQ AND TWDB
7. Report Reuse Committee findings and recommendations regarding the role of TWCA in advancing Reuse in Texas to the TWCA Board of Directors for consideration.
(1) Water ownership issues will not specifically be addressed as part of the Water Reuse Committee effort. However, ownership issues that are raised will be communicated to the Water Laws Committee for potential future consideration
HarvestSafe and Good Quality
Potable Reuse water