Research Area: Integrated Water

Our Objective

SIWM takes a holistic approach to wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, and reclaimed water to achieve the goal of “One Water”, or Integrated Water Management (IWM). WE&RF’s IWM approach includes a portfolio of centralized and decentralized systems, a mix of gray and green infrastructure, increased recycling of water and nutrients, and resource recovery implemented at a variety of levels. Working collaboratively with other water organizations and partners, WE&RF aims to provide guidance through demonstrations, best practices, and decision-making tools for a paradigm shift towards sustainable water management. These new systems offer economic opportunities for both public and private sectors, as well as increased social and environmental value for the community. SIWM incorporates the climate impacts on water quantity and quality that will enable communities to analyze risk tolerance and address climate resilience.

The key areas within WE&RF’s Sustainable Integrated Water Management (SIWM) program are: integrated water, stormwater, watersheds, decentralized systems, and climate impacts on water quantity and quality.

Latest News

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Releases New Story Map on Atmospheric Rivers

This story map describes the efforts of NOAA Research to better understand atmospheric rivers, their impacts on communities, and provide essential information to forecast and prepare for these events.

Registration is Open for the Onsite Non-Potable Water Systems Workshop

The workshop is held in partnership with the Water Research Foundation, US Water Alliance, California Water Environment Association, and the National Water Research Institute.

CH2M Makes Metro Atlanta Water-Ready through 2050 with Integrated Plan

Metropolitan Atlanta has approved an integrated water resource management plan designed to meet the water and wastewater demands for the entire region through 2050.

Flowback and Produced Waters: Opportunities and Challenges for Innovation: Proceedings of a Workshop

A workshop was conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to highlight the challenges and opportunities associated in managing produced water from unconventional hydrocarbon development, and particularly in the area of potential beneficial uses for these waters. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

WE&RF Awards Research Contract to Create Modeling Guidance for Developing Nutrient Goals

WE&RF recently awarded a contract to Brown and Caldwell to create Modeling Guidance for Developing Site-Specific Nutrient Goals – Demonstration, Screening Level Application (LINK4T17).

Products & Tools

International Stormwater BMP Database: 2016 Summary Statistics (03-SW-1COh)

Provides a summary of BMP performance for total suspended solids, nutrients, metals, and bacteria for the most commonly monitored and reported BMP types available in the 2016 release of the International BMP Database.

Fostering Innovation Within Water Utilities (LIFT11C15)

This report provides information to assist utilities seeking to foster innovation and manage ideas as valuable resources.

Drivers, Hindrances, Planning, and Benefits Quantification: Economic Pathways and Partners for Water Reuse and Stormwater Harvesting (SIWM8R14)

This report focuses on the drivers, hindrances, and planning of water reuse projects and reports on how utilities that have and have not built reuse projects see them differently.

Risk-Based Framework for the Development of Public Health Guidance for Decentralized Non-Potable Water Systems (SIWM10C15)

This research developed a risk-based framework to establish scale-appropriate water quality criteria for decentralized non-potable water systems that protect public health.

National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems - Project Fact Sheet

National Blue Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems advances best management practices to support the use of onsite non-potable water systems for individual buildings or at the local scale.