Opportunity Information: Apply for R12SF32011
Apply for R12SF32011
- The Bureau of Reclamation Lower Colorado Region in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "City of Phoenix Research Pilot Project on Methods to Manage Concentrate Produced From Wastewater Effluent" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.504 Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program.
- This funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2012 and posted on May 21, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 4, 2012. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $347,495.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $347,495.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- This is a Notice of Intent to Award, no competition is being sought.
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Opportunity Summary:
The City of Phoenix Research Pilot Project on Methods to Manage Concentrate Produced From Wastewater Effluent is a Bureau of Reclamation (Lower Colorado Region) cooperative agreement tied to the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program (CFDA 15.504). The effort is centered on a practical, pilot-scale demonstration aimed at solving a persistent problem that comes with advanced treatment of reclaimed wastewater in Central Arizona: once desalination technologies such as reverse osmosis (RO) are used to reduce salinity, they produce a highly concentrated brine (the RO concentrate) that is expensive and technically challenging to dispose of or further treat. The project’s focus is to move beyond planning documents and “paper studies†by running a real-world pilot to test cost-effective concentrate management and brine minimization approaches.
The need for the project comes from the way reclaimed water is used across Phoenix and the Sub Regional Operating Group (SROG) partner cities of Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, and Tempe. These cities operate multiple wastewater treatment and reclamation facilities, and the recycled water supports a wide range of beneficial uses including turf and crop irrigation, power plant cooling, groundwater recharge, and indirect potable reuse. A key barrier to expanding or optimizing these reuse applications is salinity. The reclaimed water commonly has total dissolved solids (TDS) above about 1,000 mg/L, and specific ions can cause additional problems beyond general salinity. Sodium is highlighted as a concern because elevated sodium levels can interfere with reuse suitability and may contribute to regulatory compliance issues, including the risk of Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) failures under discharge permits.
The opportunity is positioned as part of a broader regional effort known as the Central Arizona Salinity Study (CASS), a collaborative initiative involving the City, SROG, and Reclamation to understand and address salinity challenges in Central Arizona water management. CASS evaluated multiple concentrate management alternatives and established a baseline “Zero Liquid Discharge†(ZLD) treatment train concept among the options. ZLD approaches can greatly reduce or eliminate liquid waste streams, but they are often capital-intensive and energy-intensive, so the pilot project is meant to test and refine practical, potentially lower-cost methods for handling RO concentrate and minimizing brine volumes before committing to full-scale solutions.
In terms of funding and administrative details, this announcement is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement instrument, meaning the federal agency anticipates substantial involvement during the project rather than a hands-off grant. The posting identifies an expected single award with total funding of $347,495, and both the award ceiling and floor are listed as $347,495, indicating a fixed planned award amount. No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated. The opportunity was posted on May 21, 2012, with an original and current closing date of June 4, 2012, and an archive date of July 4, 2012.
Eligibility is effectively limited because the notice is explicitly a Notice of Intent to Award and states that no competition is being sought. While the general eligibility field references “Others†with additional clarification in the full announcement, the intent-to-award language indicates this is a directed, noncompetitive action rather than an open call for proposals. The agency contact listed for access or questions is Shawna Thompson, Grants Officer, Bureau of Reclamation, reachable by phone at 702-293-8570 or email at smthompson@usbr.gov.
Overall, the grant supports a targeted demonstration project designed to improve reclaimed water usability in the Phoenix metro area by addressing salinity at the point where advanced treatment creates its own waste challenge. By piloting concentrate management technologies using RO concentrate from reclaimed water, the City and its regional partners aim to identify workable, cost-effective pathways that protect permit compliance, expand reuse potential, and strengthen long-term water resource management in a region where supplies are constrained and water recycling is a key strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled City of Phoenix Research Pilot Project on Methods to Manage Concentrate Produced From Wastewater Effluent.
Which federal agency is sponsoring the award?
The sponsor is the Bureau of Reclamation (Lower Colorado Region).
What program is this funding tied to?
This cooperative agreement is tied to the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program, listed as CFDA 15.504.
What type of award instrument is being used?
The announcement indicates a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal agency expects substantial involvement during the project rather than a fully hands-off grant arrangement.
What problem is the project trying to solve?
The project targets a persistent challenge associated with advanced treatment of reclaimed wastewater: desalination processes such as reverse osmosis (RO) reduce salinity but create a highly concentrated brine stream (RO concentrate) that is expensive and technically challenging to dispose of or further treat.
What is RO concentrate and why does it matter for reclaimed water?
RO concentrate is the brine stream left over after reverse osmosis removes salts from reclaimed wastewater. Managing this concentrate is difficult and can become a limiting factor for expanding advanced water reuse because it introduces a waste stream that requires careful handling, additional treatment, or disposal.
Is this a planning study or a real demonstration project?
The description emphasizes moving beyond planning documents and "paper studies" by conducting a practical, pilot-scale demonstration to test cost-effective concentrate management and brine minimization approaches in real-world conditions.
Where is the project centered geographically?
The work is centered in Central Arizona, with the City of Phoenix and regional partner cities participating through the Sub Regional Operating Group (SROG).
Which local partners are involved through SROG?
The opportunity references SROG partner cities including Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, and Tempe, alongside the City of Phoenix.
How is reclaimed water used in the Phoenix/SROG region?
The notice describes recycled water supporting multiple beneficial uses, including turf and crop irrigation, power plant cooling, groundwater recharge, and indirect potable reuse.
Why is salinity identified as a key barrier to expanding reuse?
Salinity is highlighted as a constraint because reclaimed water in the region commonly has total dissolved solids (TDS) above about 1,000 mg/L, and certain ions can cause additional issues beyond general salinity.
Which specific ion is called out as a concern?
Sodium is specifically highlighted as a concern because elevated sodium levels can affect reuse suitability and may contribute to regulatory compliance risks.
How does sodium relate to regulatory compliance in this description?
The notice notes that elevated sodium may contribute to compliance issues, including the risk of Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) failures under discharge permits.
What is the connection to the Central Arizona Salinity Study (CASS)?
The opportunity is positioned as part of the broader Central Arizona Salinity Study (CASS), a collaborative effort involving the City, SROG, and Reclamation to understand and address salinity challenges in Central Arizona water management.
What did CASS contribute to the project approach?
CASS evaluated multiple concentrate management alternatives and established a baseline Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) treatment train concept as one of the options. The pilot is intended to test and refine practical concentrate management and brine minimization approaches before committing to full-scale solutions.
What is Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in the context of this opportunity?
In this context, ZLD refers to treatment approaches that can greatly reduce or eliminate liquid waste streams. The notice also points out that ZLD can be capital-intensive and energy-intensive, which is part of why pilot testing is important.
How much funding is expected, and how many awards are anticipated?
The posting identifies an expected single award with total funding of $347,495.
Is there a minimum or maximum award amount?
Both the award ceiling and award floor are listed as $347,495, indicating a fixed planned award amount of $347,495.
Is cost sharing or a matching requirement stated?
No cost sharing or matching requirement is stated in the information provided.
Is this opportunity open for competitive applications?
No. The notice is described as a Notice of Intent to Award and explicitly states that no competition is being sought, indicating a directed, noncompetitive action rather than an open call for proposals.
What does the eligibility information indicate?
The general eligibility field references "Others" (with additional clarification noted as being in the full announcement), but the intent-to-award language indicates eligibility is effectively limited because the action is noncompetitive.
What are the key dates listed for the opportunity?
The opportunity was posted May 21, 2012. The original and current closing date is June 4, 2012. The archive date is July 4, 2012.
Who is the agency contact for questions?
The listed contact is Shawna Thompson, Grants Officer, Bureau of Reclamation.
How can the agency contact be reached?
Phone: 702-293-8570
Email: smthompson@usbr.gov
What is the overall goal of the funded work?
The overall goal is to support a targeted pilot demonstration to identify workable, cost-effective ways to manage RO concentrate and minimize brine volumes, improving reclaimed water usability in the Phoenix metro area while helping protect permit compliance and strengthen long-term regional water resource management.
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