Dynamics of Water in Urban Ecosystems: Effluent for the Environment
The reuse of effluent, otherwise known as reclaimed or recycled water, is becoming more and more of a commodity as water resource manager’s deal with tightening water budgets. It has many uses including groundwater recharge, cooling for industrial uses and irrigation for crops, public parks and golf courses. Now, it is even being considered as a drinking water supply in places using groundwater recharge/recovery or “toilet-to-tap” technology.
With its many beneficial uses possibly one of the most important is its utilization to support natural environments. Across the country, water that was once considered a nuisance is now being sought after for environmental stream flows and projects such as the Tres Rios wetlands in Phoenix and the Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, both of which create wildlife habitat using effluent.
Join us in a discussion on November 14, 2012, focused on the collaboration, competition, and policy implications of the use of “effluent for the environment.”
Panelists
Peter Fox, Ph.D., Professor, ASU School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment
Tom Hildebrandt, Wildlife Program Manager (retired), AZ Game & Fish, Central Arizona Regions
Bruce Prior, Hydrologist, City of Tucson Water Department
Robert F. Upham, P.E., Project Manager, Water Resources Division, City of Phoenix
When
Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Lunch will be served. Please RSVP to: Sarah.Jones.2@asu.edu
Location
Decision Center for a Desert City, 21 East 6th Street, Suite 126B, Tempe Map
Arizona Indicators, a project managed by ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, has just published a new Policy Points by DCDC research analyst, Sally Wittlinger. Sally’s Policy Point is entitled, “How Will the Current Drought Affect Our Future Water Supply?”
Anthony J. Brazel, ASU professor emeritus, has received the Helmet E. Landsberg Award for 2013 from the American Meteorological Society’s Board on the Urban Environment. The AMS is this country’s primary professional society for atmospheric scientists.
On Thursday, October 25, 2012, Captain Wayne Porter, USN, Chair, Systemic Strategy and Complexity at the Naval Postgraduate School, will present the first Wrigley Lecture Series of the 2012-2013 academic year. He will be discussing his piece, “A National Strategic Narrative,” co-authored with Colonel Mark Mykleby. The narrative argues for a need of a sustainability context when protecting our nation’s prosperity and security. It is now time to move the nation from a Cold War strategy of containment to a strategy of sustainability designed to address our enduring interests in a dynamic environment.
Water is an essential resource for human settlement. Regardless of the climate or economy, if there is not an adequate supply of water to meet the water demands of a community, the community cannot be sustainable. Thus managing water supply and demand so that demand does not exceed supply will be an essential component of any communities plan for sustainability. Such management, referred to as water resources management, in urbanized regions can be very complicated. The systems used to collect water from multiple sources, treat it, deliver it to community residents, collect the wastewater, treat it, and safely dispose or reuse it are typically complex highly regulated systems often operated by multiple agencies over different geographies that can span hundreds of miles.
Beginning October 12, 2012, 
Beginning this academic year, you can find video of our Water/Climate Briefings on the DCDC website under each Water/Climate Briefing heading. We’re excited about this opportunity to reach a broader audience with our ongoing research.