WateReuse joins delegation to Israel

The WateReuse Association announced that, last week, it had joined a delegation to Israel with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. State Department. There, nearly forty WateReuse members learned about Israel’s water recycling program.

The WateReuse members, representing utilities, businesses, regulators, and research institutions, visited Israel’s largest water treatment and desalination plants, research centers, and industrial facilities. The visitors learned about how Israel has transformed its water management system over the past two decades.

The delegation learned of Israel’s decision to use water recycling as a centerpiece of an integrated water resources management system that combines desalination, reclaimed municipal wastewater, and stormwater capture and reuse to ensure sustainable supplies of freshwater for residential, industrial, and agricultural consumption.

The delegates also attended seminars on Israel’s use of reclaimed municipal water for agricultural irrigation and toured key water recycling facilities delivering recycled water to agricultural operations.

The delegation toured one of the largest Intel microchip manufacturing facilities outside of the U.S. and learned how its water management system supplies recycled water not only for internal operations but to supply water that irrigates nearby agricultural operations.

The visitors also learned about Israel’s continuous research, monitoring, and data analysis programs that ensure Israel’s water system remains resilient and adaptive to changing conditions. Delegates had the opportunity to meet with Israeli technology producers to discuss innovative water management technologies and how they could assist with U.S. water management challenges.

The delegation was an initiative under EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan and was co-hosted by Israel’s Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Economy and Industry, and Israel’s Water Authority.

The organizers of the delegation plan to publish a report on lessons learned and key takeaways from the visit that can aid water managers in the U.S. interested in adopting water recycling practices. Following the successful collaboration, the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection and the U.S. EPA will also host an event at the COP27 climate change conference on “Water Reuse to Address Climate Challenges,” with a virtual participation option.

WateReuse provided a Google Form for interested parties to register for the event, either in person or virtually.