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EPN Breakfast Event - Tuesday, March 25, 2025: Water Reuse for Ohio’s Future: Implications for advanced industry, land conservation, and resource efficiency.

Image of blue arrows in a circle with water and an image of Columbus in the center.

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New for 2025!

Thanks to a generous sponsorship from ENGIE North America and the Ohio State Energy Partners, all students can attend 2025 EPN programs free of charge!


Program Overview

Water reuse – the process of capturing, treating, and recycling water for various uses – is no new concept in the realm of water management. Water reuse has been in action in rivers replenished with treated water, agricultural irrigation systems, and in power plants1 for decades. Recently, however, discussions surrounding water reuse have been brought to the forefront in Ohio as large industrial operations such as microchip manufacturing plants and data centers have been developed across the state, often requiring high volumes of water to facilitate their cooling systems2. Resultingly, municipalities and businesses involved in the development of these operations have looked to water reuse as a solution to balance economic development with environmental sustainability. 

This EPN event, presented in coordination with the Water Management Association of Ohio (WMAO), the Ohio Water Resources Center, and TerrAqua (a student organization at Ohio State and WMAO affiliate), will bring together a cross-disciplinary panel of leaders involved in water management, conservation, and reuse in a discussion on Ohio’s current water reuse projects and the implications for regional natural resource and economic sustainability. Following the breakfast panel, an extended two-hour (in person) session focused on overcoming challenges for implementing water reuse projects across the state offered for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). As industrial-scale water reuse is still in its infancy in Ohio, this program will be an opportunity for sustainability-focused professionals to share lessons learned and discuss future applications for Ohio’s water stewardship as the state continues to grow.   

References

1United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Basic Information about Water Reuse” link here. 

2World Economic Forum, “Why circular water solutions are key to sustainable data centres" (2024) link here.

 


Agenda

7:15 a.m. Doors open at Ohio State 4-H Center; Coffee served for in-person attendees.  

7:40 a.m. Breakfast buffet served for in-person attendees.  

8:00 a.m. Livestreaming service begins for virtual attendees.   

8:10 a.m. Tim Haab, PhD, director, Ohio State’s School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) provides welcome remarks.

8:15 a.m. Linda Weavers, PhD, co-Director, Ohio Water Resources Center, Ohio State University, College of Engineering and Lydia Schiopota, President, TerrAqua; SENR Student Ambassador introduce the morning's themes and speakers.

8:20 a.m. Tiffani Kavalec, Policy Director, Ohio EPA, addresses the topic of water reuse infrastructure in Ohio.

8:30 a.m. John Newsome, PE, Administrator, City of Columbus, Division of Water discusses the water re-use strategy and technology utilized by the City of Columbus and other stakeholders, including movement of water from Hoover Reservoir via City of Columbus system to Licking County. 

8:40 a.m. Diana Rodriguez, Principal, Sustainability Public Policy, Amazon Web Services (AWS) outlines water sustainability initiatives taking place in AWS operations.

8:50 a.m. Kristy Hawthorne, District Program Administrator, Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District presents on land conservation strategies.

9:05 a.m. Audience in-person and virtual question and answer session.

9:30 a.m. Haab concludes breakfast program. Networking break for in-person attendees.

Transition to an extended educational program for water management. This in-person only session is open to all, including water management professionals and students seeking to further interact with visiting guest speakers and to enhance their knowledge of the economic, policy, and engineering considerations for water reuse in Ohio.

The remainder of this program is worth 2 CEU and PDH hours and is intended for in-person guests only.

9:45 a.m. Session One: Overcoming economic and policy barriers for water reuse.

10:45 a.m. Session Two: Overcoming engineering barriers for water reuse.

11:45 a.m. Program concludes.

 


Speakers

Linda WeaversLinda Weavers, co-Director, Ohio Water Resources Center, Ohio State University, College of Engineering

Linda Weavers holds the John C. Geupel Endowed Chair and is Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering at The Ohio State University.  In addition, Dr. Weavers is co-Director of the Ohio Water Resources Center, the federally authorized and state-designated Water Resources Research Institute for the State of Ohio and is co-Lead in the Sustainability Institute Healthy Air, Land, and Water Program Area.  After obtaining her B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Minnesota, she received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering Science from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).  She is a licensed professional engineer in Ohio and board certified environmental engineer.

Tiffani KavalecTiffani Kavalec, Policy Director, Ohio EPA

Tiffani started with Ohio EPA in 1995 and spent most of her time in the Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization (DERR) as an enforcement coordinator, the Clean Ohio Fund manager, and later overseeing the Superfund, Enforcement, Federal Facilities, Natural Resource Damages, and Voluntary Action Programs. She transferred to the Division of Surface Water (DSW) in 2014, and in 2023 was appointed the Agency's Policy Director. In her current role, Tiffani leads Ohio EPA policy across all agency divisions in coordination with stakeholder organizations and federal and state partners. She assists the director in defining agency and division-specific environmental goals and objectives based on Governor priorities and/or federal mandates. She graduated from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Public Policy. She also has several master’s credits from the University of Findlay’s Environmental Management Program.

John NewsomeJohn Newsome, PE, Administrator, City of Columbus, Division of Water

In 2022, John Newsome became the Administrator of the Division of Water (DOW). He has a long history with the Department of Public Utilities, serving since 2006 in various capacities. Previously he was the Administrator of the Division of Sewerage & Drainage since January 2016 and has helped lead some of the largest capital projects in Columbus. He also served as the Assistant Administrator in the Division of Power where he helped create a first of its kind, long-term Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) of more than $54 million to help better meet the needs of residents and businesses. He has worked as a Sewer Systems Engineering Sections Manager, served as a member of the Blueprint Columbus steering team and served as the project manager to the OARS project, the largest CIP in the history of the city.

Diana RodriguezDiana Rodriguez, Principal, Sustainability Public Policy, Americas, Amazon Web Services

Diana Rodriguez leads Sustainability Public Policy for Amazon Web Services (AWS). She is responsible for policy engagement with government, regulatory bodies and industry associations on AWS’s sustainability priorities, including commitments to be Water+ by 2030 and to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Prior to joining AWS, she led sustainability public policy for a global financial services trade association and served in the Obama Administration as Senior Advisor for International Trade at the U.S. Small Business Administration. Earlier in her career she worked at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and at international affairs think tanks, the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Diana holds a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University, and Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.

Kristy HawthorneKristy Hawthorne, District Program Administrator, Licking County Soil and Water Conservation District

Kristy Hawthorne has served with Licking County Soil & Water for 11 years.  In April 2020, Kristy was appointed as the District Program Administrator to lead the organization. She oversees programs such OEPA Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District and USDA cost share programs, ODA Farmland Preservation Easement management, and development of Nonpoint Source Implementation Strategies. Kristy chairs and serves on various committees, including Licking County River Round Up, the Licking Land Trust, Hartford Fair Natural Resources Area, and Licking County Farm Bureau Board. 

Michael FrommerMichael Frommer, PE, - Vice President, CDM Smith, Inc.

Michael is currently a senior client services leader with CDM Smith, Inc. and has almost 30 years of management and leadership experience in the water industry as both a government executive and engineering consultant. He has been extensively involved in a wide variety of public utility infrastructure planning projects focused on supporting future growth and development. He has past experience with development of public policy and financing strategies to support infrastructure needs through stakeholder engagement during his time as Delaware County Administrator and Executive Director for both the Delaware County Regional Sewer District and the Licking Regional Water District. Michael has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Ohio Northern University and holds a Professional Engineering License in the State of Ohio. 

Johnathon SheetsJohn Sheets, PhD, PE, Environmental Engineer, CDM Smith, Inc.

John Sheets, PhD, PE, is an environmental engineer with over a decade of experience in the water and wastewater sectors. Dr. Sheets is a project technical leader at CDM Smith, with expertise including water and wastewater treatment, biosolids and PFAS management, renewable energy, and water reuse. He is driven to promote the practical implementation of cutting-edge technologies that aim protect public health and the environment. Dr. Sheets leads CDM Smith’s efforts to support Midwest utilities on the development of advanced treatment and water reuse projects. He currently serves as the Chair for WateReuse Ohio’s Potable Reuse committee. Dr. Sheets holds a bachelor’s degree from Miami University (OH) and doctorate in agricultural engineering from the Ohio State University.


Additional Information 

We strive to host events that are inclusive and accessible to everyone. If you have a disability and require accommodations to fully participate in this activity, please reach out to Hallie Stelzle, EPN Program Assistant (stelzle.2@osu.edu). Requests made five business days in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access. However, we will make every effort to meet requests made after this time frame. You will be contacted by someone from our staff to discuss your specific needs. 

Masks are optional for all event attendees at this event, in accordance with Ohio State’s Safe and Healthy Protocols as of this date. In-person attendees will be expected to follow Ohio State protocols regarding the prevention of COVID-19 transmission. More health and safety information available on this Personal Safety Practices page

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