Grantee Research Project Results
2024 Progress Report: Accelerating Technical and Community Readiness for Water Reuse in Small Systems
EPA Grant Number: R840461Title: Accelerating Technical and Community Readiness for Water Reuse in Small Systems
Investigators: Ikuma, Kaoru , Ong, Say Kee , Oyanedel-Craver, Vinka , Rehmann, Chris , Kiparsky, Michael , Charbonnet, Joe , Amado, Antonio Arenas , Goodwill, Joseph , Guilfoos, Todd , Liu, Lu , Wang, Yu
Institution: Iowa State University , University of Rhode Island , University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Ludwig-Monty, Sarah
Project Period: September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2026
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2023 through August 31,2024
Project Amount: $3,246,000
RFA: NATIONAL PRIORITIES: WATER INNOVATION, SCIENCE, AND ENGAGEMENT TO ADVANCE WATER REUSE (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water Quality , Water , Water Treatment
Objective:
The objective of this project is to accelerate water reuse adoption in rural communities by increasing technical and community readiness. The general hypothesis is that community readiness for water reuse in small systems can be accelerated by a convergence of technical, informational, social, and institutional innovation. Additionally, severe water scarcity need not be a prerequisite for water reuse implementation, given careful attention to windows of opportunity that integrate multiple community concerns. We will test these hypotheses through 6 objectives: (1) Develop water inventory to overcome the water information barrier; (2) Develop validated list of fit-for-purpose technologies to overcome lack of guidance on appropriate technologies; (3) Construct projected cost curves that incorporate environmental benefits; (4) Identify ways to overcome social barriers to public acceptance; (5) Foster institutional innovation to overcome organizational barriers; and (6) Conduct case studies to accelerate community readiness for water reuse in five small communities across the US.
Progress Summary:
Objective 1
A comprehensive water inventory app was developed for incorporated and unincorporated places in the lower 48 states using the Google Earth Engines platform. The water inventory provides information for 48 states, 3,108 counties, and 31,099 communities, including incorporated and unincorporated areas.
Objective 2
A strategic technology scan framework has been developed which compiles technologies with their respective treatment performance, costs, and personnel/material inputs. Using this tool, 78 individual water treatment technologies have been evaluated for their appropriateness for water reuse in small water systems. The results of the scanning process also informed the selection of five technologies to further evaluate and validate in the laboratory. Thus far, testing and validation of manganese oxide-coated sand as a treatment technology for stormwater and wastewater reuse is currently underway.
Objective 3
Literature review for monetized value of environmental and social benefits/costs pertaining to water reuse has been completed. We are in the process of building cost curves for two testbed communities, one in Iowa and one in California.
Objective 4
A national scope survey on willingness to pay, level of support for various water reuse programs, and several perceptional and demographics questions targeting residents of small communities was developed and implemented in November 2023. 3003 responses were collected from adult residents living in small communities throughout the US. We generally observed more favorable levels of support for indirect and non-potable reuse compared to direct potable reuse, regardless of the source of the water (e.g., wastewater, stormwater, agricultural runoff). The survey results suggest that public motivations vary significantly between different end uses, especially indirect/non-potable reuse and direct potable reuse, with potable applications requiring stronger safety assurances.
Objective 5
Based on preliminary research and engagement, we have shifted our focus to identifying key intervention points in small, rural communities’ planning and decision-making processes for consideration of water reuse, as well as regulatory / policy changes that could best leverage them to enable more widespread adoption of water reuse. Literature review and legal/policy research are currently underway.
Future Activities:
Objective 1: Ongoing tasks include formal dissemination of the results and making the water inventory app available to the public.
Objective 2: We will continue the laboratory-based validation of the select low-input technologies in Year 3.
Objective 3: In Year 3, we will work with testbed communities to construct cost curves that are useful for their decision making surrounding water reuse.
Objective 4: We will disseminate the results of the survey through one or more journal articles.
Objective 5: We will complete interview protocol design, obtain human subjects research approvals, and start conducting interviews in CO and CA.
Objective 6: We will identify case study small communities and initiate discussions to identify mutual goals for this effort.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 4 publications | 2 publications in selected types | All 2 journal articles |
|---|
| Type | Citation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Cintura I, Arenas A. Multi-scale assessment of rainwater harvesting availability across the continental US. Journal of Environmental Management 2024;366:121776. |
R840461 (2024) |
Exit |
|
|
Mantey EP, Liu L, Rehmann CR. Disparities in potential nitrate exposures within Iowa public water systems. Environmental Science:Water Research & Technology 2025;11(4):959-971. |
R840461 (2024) |
Exit |
Supplemental Keywords:
Environmental justice, rural communities, technology validation, public acceptance, institutional innovationProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.