San Francisco Mayor Addresses WateReuse Association Conference

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom delivered the welcome address to the California Section of the WateReuse Association 2009 Annual Conference on Monday, March 23 at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in San Francisco.

Newsom spoke about the need for San Francisco to do more water recycling. “We really haven't done enough in water recycling, but we will,” he said. “We have to do more and we have to do better.”

The theme of the conference is "Purple, the New Green." The conference is designed for individuals, organizations and agencies that are associated with or interested in the design, management, operation and use of water recycling and desalination facilities and projects in California. Nearly 300 members of the WateReuse Association and others involved in the water reuse industry are in attendance.

Newsom was joined on the opening session by State Assembly members Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Michael Duvall (R-Yorba Linda), and Donald Glaser of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

Huffman thanked WateReuse members and others in attendance for being leaders in water recycling. He told the audience of water professionals assembled from across California that their work makes a difference.

“My commitment to you is to make sure there is substantial funding for water recycling in future water bonds,” Huffman said.

The opening session speakers emphasized the important role of water recycling in California’s future.

“There is no new water. Every acre foot you reuse is an acre foot that can go to some other beneficial use,” Glaser said.

Duvall added: “The real gold in California is water.”

The conference includes more than 40 technical presentations, poster presentations, technical tours, receptions, an awards luncheon, the annual Gordon Cologne Breakfast, the town hall session and an exhibition component. A preconference workshop titled "Successfully Managing Irrigation with Recycled Water" was held on Sunday, March 22.

Source: WateReuse Association