AWWA hosts Turkish delegation to advance wastewater reuse, circular economy

Thirty-four water professionals from Turkey and the World Bank explored California water recycling facilities and the Hoover Dam in Nevada last month during a study group tour led by the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

The visit was organized by AWWA and the World Bank, in collaboration with the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) of Turkey. As part of the World Bank’s Water in Circular Economy and Resilience (WICER) initiative, the tour was a step toward implementing a proposed Water Circularity and Efficiency Improvement Project in Turkey, now officially known as the Republic of Türkiye.

“The World Bank is pleased to support this initiative to encourage the global exchange of knowledge on the application of circular economy principles and water system resiliency around the world,” said Sanyu Lutalo, World Bank’s senior water and sanitation specialist. “This stewardship and reuse of limited water resources is particularly critical as we address the impacts of a changing climate and growing population.” 

John Brady, deputy director of the Central Coast Water Authority, helped facilitate the tour, along with Rebecca Wheeler, AWWA’s senior manager of international programs. (Pictured above, John Brady at left, participants of study group tour, Sanyu Lutalo at far right.)

“California has a number of statewide infrastructure systems that bring water from areas of abundance to areas of need,” Brady said, noting that the tour provided valuable insights that can be applied in Turkey. “Also, California is the most populous state in the nation, with over 38.24 million people. This population is expected to grow to 42 million by 2030.” 

Study group participants toured several innovative water recycling facilities, including:

• The City of Santa Rosa’s Laguna Treatment Plant, which efficiently recycles a significant amount of wastewater for beneficial reuse through a comprehensive treatment process 
• The North Valley Recycled Water Program, a successful regional collaboration between Ceres, Turlock, and Modesto, that treats wastewater for agricultural purposes
• Monterey One Water, which protects groundwater quality through advanced treatment methods
• The Lake Nacimiento and City of Paso Robles Recycled Water Blending Project, which highlights the potential of blending water sources for agricultural use

“We designed the tour of each facility to start with a presentation by the host facility staff, followed by a tour led by a guide with a high level of operational and design knowledge,” Brady said. “We followed this by having lunch with the host facility staff to facilitate an opportunity to ask additional questions and deeper networking.” 

The interactive discussions during the tour encouraged participants to share their experiences and discuss priorities, facilitated by translators and interpretation equipment to overcome the language barrier.

“Being able to draw upon the experiences of such an accomplished group of professionals was invaluable,” said Brady, who worked with AWWA’s International Council, professional network and informational resources to facilitate the tour. “AWWA has a very professional and knowledgeable staff and does an outstanding job of representing the priorities of the water sector.”