SacSewer's Harvest Water: Expanding Recycled Water Use for Sustainable Agriculture and Ecosystem Support

Presenters

Sarah Rhodes
Senior Project Manager
Woodard & Curran

Sarah Rhodes is a licensed Professional Engineer in California and a Senior Project Manager at Woodard & Curran, where she leads water reuse projects and initiatives across the state. With extensive experience guiding clients from recycled water feasibility assessments through full program implementation, Sarah has also helped secure critical grant funding to advance these efforts.

Since 2019, Sarah has played a pivotal role in SacSewer’s Harvest Water Program, managing the administration of its $350 million Prop 1 Water Storage Investment Program grant and spearheading the development of recycled water service agreements, rules and regulations, and technical reports to support permitting through the State and Regional Water Boards.

Sarah earned both her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. An active member of the WateReuse Association, she contributes to California’s Agricultural Reuse Committee and is passionate about advancing water reuse through collaboration and public education.

Max Mutter
Conservationist
The Freshwater Trust

Max Mutter is a conservationist with The Freshwater Trust that has worked with multiple governmental, non-profit, and private environmental organizations across the country. His current work focuses on maintaining sustainable groundwater resources for both agricultural and ecological systems. Max holds a master's degree in biodiversity, conservation, and management from Oxford University.

Heidi Oriol
Senior Civil Engineer, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs
Sacramento Area Sewer District

Heidi Oriol has 24 years of experience working for public agencies in water, wastewater, and recycled water planning and policy. For the last 7 years she has served as a Senior Civil Engineer in Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at the Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer). She oversees a variety of regulatory and policy programs as well as serving as a Program Coordinator for Harvest Water. Heidi most enjoys collaborating with others on advocacy, problem solving, and innovative solutions such as Harvest Water. Heidi holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Resources Engineering from Humboldt State University, and she is licensed as a Professional Engineer in the state of California.

Co-Authors

Dave Richardson
Senior Client Manager
Woodard & Curran

Erik Ringelberg
Regional Vice President – California
The Freshwater Trust

Jofil Borja
Environmental Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Manager
Sacramento Area Sewer District