By Kris Polly

San Diego County’s Sweetwater Authority is unusual among Southern California water utilities in its limited reliance on imported water, but it’s looking to improve its situation even more. As General Manager Carlos Quintero tells us in this month’s cover story, his aim is to increase local groundwater production to the point that it can cover 100 percent of the agency’s needs. That way, it can opt for whatever water source is cheapest while enjoying the surety that it will not have to fall back on expensive imported supplies.

Next, we turn to Southern California’s Santa Margarita Water District, a leader in water recycling and regional cooperation. The agency also has many women in top leadership positions, three of whom we interview about their backgrounds, roles, projects, and advice for others.

John Sheets, the principal environmental engineer and Midwest reuse discipline leader for engineering firm CDM Smith, was recently recognized by the WateReuse Association with an Up & Comer award. We speak with him about CDM Smith’s extensive water reuse work and learn why reuse is important, even in seemingly water-rich areas such as the Midwest.

While many microbial corrosion tests take weeks, Retego Labs’ take only 24 hours. How did the company achieve such a feat? We learn about the technology’s origins, capabilities, and results in a conversation with Les Merrill, the president of Retego Labs.

Last, we speak with Heather Himmelberger, the director of the Albuquerque-based Southwest Environmental Finance Center, one of 10 such centers founded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To better pursue their mission of helping states and utilities enforce EPA rules and modernize their systems, the centers joined together to form the Environmental Finance Center Network. Ms. Himmelberger tells us more about the funding, training, and workforce building the network carries out.

By diversifying water portfolios through groundwater and reuse and guaranteeing water quality through testing and smart regulations, U.S. utilities are setting themselves and their customers up for success.

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He can be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.