1 Water Nevada updates outreach, Smart About Water Day and study-site tours

Commissioners heard a presentation April 16 on 1 Water Nevada outreach and education efforts tied to the American Flats advanced purified water project, including a May 10 Smart About Water Day event, school-district outreach and translated materials for Spanish-speaking residents.

Robert Sharpen of Truckee Meadows Water Authority and project communications lead Mark Milan described a yearlong outreach plan focused on three areas: stakeholder engagement (elected officials and key staff), presentations for agency staff, and direct public outreach including neighborhood webinars and customer webinars. Sharpen said the project team plans videos, exhibits and a permanent education center at the facility and emphasized early, frequent engagement with elected officials and staff.

Smart About Water Day: The team said Smart About Water Day will be held May 10 at Idlewild Park; the event is family-oriented, free and will include partner booths and educational programming. Outreach staff confirmed translated materials and a Spanish-language website option; they said Washoe County School District has been contacted and a classroom curriculum is under development.

Site visits and technical tours: Staff summarized recent site visits. Attendees toured Polk County’s direct potable reuse pilot (about 1.5 million gallons per day), Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System and the Albert Robles Center. The Orange County Water District facility was described as the largest water recycling facility in the world (capacity noted in materials as up to 130 million gallons per day).

Commissioner concerns and messaging: Commissioners asked that outreach address cost concerns directly and explain how the project’s costs compare with alternatives such as building or replacing regional wastewater plants. Commissioners also requested clear messaging about long-term benefits, grants and low-interest loan opportunities (for example, Bureau of Reclamation grants and state revolving funds) and suggested producing economic analyses that show the cost of inaction. Multiple commissioners urged emphasizing generational sustainability and a triple-bottom-line framing (financial, social, environmental).

Education center and meeting space: Staff said the education center design is in early stages; planned group tour capacity is 20–30 people, and staff noted conference/meeting space is being considered. Commissioners recommended sizing a flexible meeting room to accommodate larger community meetings (a suggested target was about 40 seats).

Next steps: Staff said they will continue stakeholder briefings, refine messaging on costs and benefits, and incorporate lessons from Orange County and Polk County tours into exhibit and tour planning. The communications team plans further tours and noted a national Water Reuse conference in San Diego later this year where additional study visits may be organized.