State of Michigan
Water Resource Recovery Facility Initiative
Developed by the Michigan Water Environment Association

MWEA would like to congratulate and recognize the following Michigan utilities that have been selected to receive the Utility of the Future Today recognition. The recognition is given by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the WateReuse Association, with input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). "The Utility of the Future Today honorees exemplify the kind of forward-thinking leadership that strengthens the entire water sector," said former WEF Executive Director Eileen O'Neill. "We are thrilled to celebrate and recognize these utilities that not only embrace but expand water sector innovation."

City of Grand Rapids (Awarded in: 2019, 2016)
Genesee County District # 3 Linden Water Resource Recovery Facility (Awarded in: 2019)
Great Lakes Water Authority (Awarded in: 2020, 2019, 2018)
Benton Harbor St. Joseph Joint Wastewater Treatment Plant (Awarded in: 2020, 2018)
City of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (Awarded in: 2018)
City of Grandville Clean Water Plant (Awarded in: 2018)
City of Zeeland Clean Water Plant (Awarded in: 2020)
Holland Board of Public Works (Awarded in: 2020)
Kinross Charter Township (Awarded in: 2020)
Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's Office (Awarded in: 2020)

Visit the WaterEUM website for more information, including an interactive primer.

Beginnings | Getting Michigan Ready | What YOU Can Do | Documents

Beginnings...

In 2013, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), and the Water Environment Research Foundation (now Water Environment and Reuse Foundation (WE&RF)) released the Water Resources Utility of the Future Blueprint for Action. The document was prepared in response to unprecedented challenges faced by the wastewater industry and the need to change traditional ways of thinking to meet these challenges.

Water Resources Utilities of the Future (UOTF) produce clean water, protect the Great Lakes, recover nutrients (like phosphorus and nitrogen), generate energy, utilize green infrastructure, and contribute to the sustainability of local communities.

A successful transformation to the UOTF approach will achieve beneficial outcomes for environmental, social and economic improvements, commonly referred to as the triple bottom line. This will be accomplished without the relaxation of water quality standards or treatment while moving Michigan to better water quality overall.

Getting Michigan Ready...

In June of 2015, Ed McCormick of Oakland, California, then president of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), spoke at the opening session of the annual conference of the Michigan Water Environment Association (MWEA). Mr. McCormick’s presentation on the Water Resource Utility of the Future included a vision for improved energy, nutrient and solids recycling and recovery at wastewater treatment plants throughout the country.

This vision sparked an impassioned interest in Mr. William Bill Creal, then Chief of the Water Resources Division (WRD) of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), regarding the opportunities these concepts provide for communities in Michigan. Later that year, Mr. Creal proposed, with the support of the Governor’s office and the head of DEQ, to develop recycling metrics for the state’s wastewater treatment plants. WRD leadership invited the MWEA to review and comment on draft metrics.

The next step was formation of a joint MDEQ / MWEA task force to discuss the opportunities. These discussions led to MWEA submitting a grant proposal to MDEQ. After review, the grant proposal was eventually approved in January 2016 to develop and explore ideas to assist in launching a program to promote recycling at the state’s treatment facilities.

Anchor The following tasks were established to help reach these objectives.

Recap of Michigan’s Water Resource Recovery Leadership Summit
- The summit took place April 8, 2016 and was universally considered a resounding success.
A Vision for the Transformation of Michigan’s Wastewater Industry to Water Resource Recovery Facilities

Companion documents include:

What YOU Can Do...

Today there are approximately 400 municipal wastewater treatment plants in our state. Collectively, those who work in those plants are responsible for more than 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater daily. That’s an incredible daily achievement. It benefits millions of us in Michigan. But we need to raise awareness of this accomplishment and tell others about it if we are to attract more young men and women to the wastewater treatment profession.

Take time to:

Download and review the MWEA WRRF documents above.
- (There is also a 4 page brochure of the information on this page - printed versions will be available at the MWEA Annual Conference in June. A digital version will be available on this page soon.)
Change the name of your facility to a WRRF
Download and start filling out the Utility of the Future – Today Application
- Take the steps necessary to be able to provide evidence that you are a UOF
Establish the right culture
Offer tours of your facility
Get involved in community events
Obtain a copy of WEF's Energy Roadmap
Focus on Efficiency and Production of Energy
Focus on beneficial use of solids, if possible

Mike Lunn, of Grand Rapids,
received Michigan's 1^st
Utility of the Future Today Recognition

We invite you to take time to read and learn more. After you do, we think you will agree that the future we envision and the potential we have to make that vision a reality by working together, is indeed, awesome.