UA Opens West Center—New Water Research Facility
The University of Arizona has opened the new WEST (Water & Energy Sustainable Technology) Center, a $5.5 million facility where industry, government, and academia collaborate to advance sustainable solutions at the nexus of water and energy. Located in Agua Nueva, Pima County’s new water reclamation facility, the state-of-the-art facility will take advantage of its location at the treatment plant, with its adjacent reclaimed water recharge basins and constructed wetlands, to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate new water treatment and energy technologies. A working partnership involving Pima County, Tucson Water, numerous industrial partners, and the UA, the center provides an ideal work environment for researchers from the UA’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Engineering. As a public-private partnership, the center aims to advance and commercialize energy efficient solutions for water safety and security. Goals include supporting better technology transfer between public institutions and private industry, providing training for technicians, utility personnel, and students, and creating additional jobs and economic development in the region.
Arizona Town Hall Takes on Water
The Arizona Town Hall on Water, “Keeping Arizona’s Water Glass Full,” was held November 16-18, 2015 in Mesa, Arizona. Approximately 175 participants spent three days in working sessions answering a series of key questions about Arizona’s water resources. This statewide forum brought diverse Arizonans together for an exchange of ideas and perspectives, making for lively discussions both during the sessions and the many opportunities for informal conversation. In advance of the Town Hall, participants received a background report prepared by author-editors from the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University to inform dialogue. At the Town Hall, subgroups of about 25 people were presented with questions about influences on water use and challenges to its management. Other questions triggered exploration of ideas for securing a water future that balances economic vitality with other quality of life goals for communities throughout Arizona, including tribal communities. Financing was a major topic, which linked with water pricing and communicating the value of water to water users. Finally working group participants were tasked with establishing priorities and recommending specific actions. Diligent recorders compiled consensus drafts for each work session and reconciled and combined the consensus drafts from the various subgroups into a single document. In a spirited plenary session on the last morning, the draft report was amended based on suggestions from the subgroups. Resulting recommendations can be viewed at http://wrrc.arizona.edu/az-town-hall-2015. The background report is also available on the same page.
New Carlsbad, CA Desal Plant Opens
Operations have commenced at the largest and most technologically advanced seawater desalination plant in the United States. The Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is a 50-million-gallon per day seawater desalination plant located in Carlsbad, California, adjacent to the Encina Power Station. On December 14, the plant was dedicated by more than 600 elected officials, community leaders, and project partners. By the date of the dedication the plant had already produced 1.5 billion gallons of desalinated water for San Diego County. A 30-year Water Purchase Agreement is in place between the San Diego County Water Authority and Poseidon Water which built the plant, for the entire output of the plant. By tapping the largest reservoir in the world—the Pacific Ocean—the plant is helping to minimize the region’s vulnerability to the statewide drought.
National Natural Resource Investment Center Created
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced on December 15 the establishment of a Natural Resource Investment Center that will work closely with the private sector and others to identify innovative ideas and financing options for projects that increase investment in critical water infrastructure, conserve scarce Western water resources, and protect habitat. The Center is part of President Obama’s Build America Investment Initiative, which calls on federal agencies to find new ways to increase investment in 21st-century infrastructure projects. The Center will start to outline specific conservation projects and partnerships early next year. It plans to model its activities in part on existing successful initiatives, such as voluntary water transfer mechanisms, innovative financing, and creative public-private partnerships. The Center will harness the expertise of multiple Department of Interior units, including the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and U.S. Geological Survey and will tap into private sector experience to deliver on its objectives.
White House Water Summit Announced
On March 22, 2016, in conjunction with the United Nations World Water Day, a White House Water Summit will be held to raise awareness of water issues and potential solutions in the United States. The Summit aims to provide a catalyst for ideas and actions in innovative science and technology to help build a sustainable and secure water future. The summit will bring together representatives from Federal, State, regional, local, and tribal levels, and from other stakeholder groups. In the run-up to the summit the White House has issued a call to action to address key water issues, such as drought and flooding, water availability and quality, water-use efficiency, water security, ecosystem requirements, and more. The public is invited to announce innovations in fundamental research; data, monitoring, modeling, and forecasting; technology development, demonstration, deployment, and scale-up; citizen science; entrepreneurship; and creation and dissemination of science-based tools and resources to inform decision making. Information on announced innovations may become part of the material generated in preparation for the summit. An on-line form for participation is located at https://www.whitehouse.gov/webform/share-your-input-activities-and-actio...