Building a National Water Reuse Action Plan

Water is essential to healthy people, economies, and ecosystems. As growing demand places a strain on our water supplies, water reuse is one of the most promising ways to extend existing water supplies and protect water resources. However, deploying water reuse strategies and technologies requires building public confidence, strong collaboration across sectors, and effective communications. That’s where Meridian comes in.

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to develop a Water Reuse Action Plan in 2019, the WateReuse Association knew they needed to provide immediate, thorough input to inform development of the Action Plan. WateReuse brought in Meridian to help gather diverse stakeholder input and draft guiding principles and recommendations.

Within a month, Meridian and WateReuse convened two workshops with over 100 participants working on innovative approaches to water reuse and recycling. In these collaborative spaces, water utilities, trade associations, agricultural teams, fuel producers, environmentalists, and others were able to communicate their unique interests and challenges and discuss recommendations for a national vision for water reuse. In addition to facilitating the workshops, Meridian engaged experts from partner organizations and provided the structure, oversight, and management necessary to meet the quick timeline.

Meridian’s experience in water policy and past work with WaterReuse helped us design an efficient and effective collaborative process. These strengths were instrumental in helping WateReuse capitalize on this major policy opportunity. The guiding principles and recommendations that WateReuse submitted informed the EPA’s National Water Reuse Action Plan, which will help spur and coordinate policies on water reuse across the United States.