Oct. 3, 2014 -- The WateReuse Association has honored two creative partnerships that serve to demonstrate how agencies, industries and producers can successfully work together to increase the water resources sector to meet public demand. The awards were presented during the One Water Innovations Gala held in New Orleans, La., on Sunday, Sept. 28.
"We made a conscious decision to reward partnerships with this award," said WateReuse executive director Melissa Meeker. "The partnership is between a public agency that has shown leadership in our industry and their customer that has shown a willingness to take a chance, do the right thing and use the right water for the right use."
Awards were presented to the Monterey Regional Pollution Control Agency and its customer Ocean Mist Farms, as well Clean Water Services and its partner the Oregon Brew Crew.
Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and Ocean Mist Farms
Monterey is located in northern California where various communities on the Monterey Peninsula send their wastewater to be treated. The resulting safe recycled water is used to irrigate farmland in the region. One of those customers is Ocean Mist Farms.
The company has been in the farming business for eight decades and holds an industry leadership position in sustainable practices involving reducing carbon footprint, using integrated pest management to find creative solutions to pest problems, implementing water quality and water conservation components on the farm, using recycled water, and much more.
Gala attendees were able to feast on produce grown at Ocean Mist Farms with recycled water, including artichokes, strawberries, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, and celery.
A two-minute video on Ocean Mist Farms is available here.
Clean Water Services and Oregon Brew Crew
Clean Water Services (CWS) is a water resources management utility in Oregon's Tualatin River Watershed that provides wastewater and stormwater services, flood management projects, water quality and stream enhancement projects, fish habitat protection, and more.
The Oregon Brew Crew is the state's oldest homebrewer's club, headquartered in the city of Portland. Working together, they created a beer competition in an attempt to eliminate the disconnect between wastewater treatment and the tap.
In June, 1,000 gallons of water was pulled from the Tualatin River immediately downstream from CWS's wastewater treatment facility, where the flow is 30 percent effluent. The water was put through the company's high-purity water treatment system to clean it above and beyond drinking water standards.
After purification, the water was offered to Portland-area home brewers who used it to brew beer for the Oregon Brew Crew's groundbreaking Pure Water Brew competition. Thirteen brewers crafted 16 styles of beer, and the four winning brews were served at the Gala.
A three-minute video on the Pure Water Brew Competition is available here.
About the WateReuse Association
The WateReuse Association works to advance the beneficial and efficient uses of high-quality, locally produced, sustainable water sources. It was formed in December 1990 as a state association in California. Today, the WateReuse Association has grown to include more than 400 organizational members in the United States and around the world. The Association convenes conferences and events, produces publications, sponsors legislation in Washington, DC and in California, and has been successful in obtaining substantial federal funding for the WateReuse Research Foundation. For more information, visit www.watereuse.org/association.
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