Smart Water Management Conservation and Efficiency Act of 2014

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Smart Water Management Conservation 
and Efficiency Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. SMART WATER MANAGEMENT PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a utility;
                    (B) a municipality;
                    (C) a water district; and
                    (D) any other authority that provides drinking 
                water, wastewater treatment, or water reuse services.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            (3) Smart water management pilot program.--The term ``smart 
        water management pilot program'' or ``pilot program'' means the 
        pilot program established under subsection (b).
    (b) Smart Water Management Pilot Program.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and carry 
        out a smart water management pilot program in accordance with 
        this section.
            (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the smart water management 
        pilot program is to award grants to eligible entities to 
        demonstrate and deploy novel and innovative technology-based 
        solutions that will--
                    (A) increase the energy and water efficiency of 
                drinking water, wastewater treatment, and water reuse 
                systems;
                    (B) improve drinking water, water reuse, and 
                wastewater treatment systems to help communities across 
                the United States make significant progress in 
                conserving water, saving energy, and reducing costs; 
                and
                    (C) support the implementation of innovative 
                processes and the installation of advanced automated 
                systems that provide real-time data on energy and 
                water.
            (3) Project selection.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary shall make 
                competitive, merit-reviewed grants under the pilot 
                program to not less than 3, but not more than 5, 
                eligible entities.
                    (B) Selection criteria.--In selecting an eligible 
                entity to receive a grant under the pilot program, the 
                Secretary shall consider--
                            (i) energy and cost savings;
                            (ii) the novelty of the technology to be 
                        used;
                            (iii) the degree to which the project 
                        integrates next-generation sensors, software, 
                        analytics, and management tools;
                            (iv) the anticipated cost-effectiveness of 
                        the pilot project in terms of energy efficiency 
                        savings, water savings or reuse, and 
                        infrastructure costs averted;
                            (v) whether the technology can be deployed 
                        in a variety of geographic regions and the 
                        degree to which the technology can be 
                        implemented on a smaller or larger scale; and
                            (vi) whether the project will be completed 
                        in 5 years or less.
                    (C) Applications.--
                            (i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), an 
                        eligible entity seeking a grant under the pilot 
                        program shall submit to the Secretary an 
                        application at such time, in such manner, and 
                        containing such information as the Secretary 
                        determines to be necessary.
                            (ii) Contents.--An application under clause 
                        (i) shall, at a minimum, include--
                                    (I) a description of the project;
                                    (II) a description of the 
                                technology to be used in the project;
                                    (III) the anticipated results, 
                                including energy and water savings, of 
                                the project;
                                    (IV) a comprehensive budget for the 
                                project;
                                    (V) the names of the project lead 
                                organization and any partners;
                                    (VI) the number of users to be 
                                served by the project; and
                                    (VII) any other information that 
                                the Secretary determines to be 
                                necessary to complete the review and 
                                selection of a grant recipient.
            (4) Administration.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 300 days after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
                select grant recipients under this section.
                    (B) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall annually 
                carry out an evaluation of each project for which a 
                grant is provided under this section that--
                            (i) evaluates the progress and impact of 
                        the project; and
                            (ii) assesses the degree to which the 
                        project is meeting the goals of the pilot 
                        program.
                    (C) Technical assistance.--On the request of a 
                grant recipient, the Secretary shall provide technical 
                assistance.
                    (D) Best practices.--The Secretary shall make 
                available to the public--
                            (i) a copy of each evaluation carried out 
                        under subparagraph (B); and
                            (ii) a description of any best practices 
                        identified by the Secretary as a result of 
                        those evaluations.
                    (E) Report to congress.--The Secretary shall submit 
                to Congress a report containing the results of each 
                evaluation carried out under subparagraph (B).
    (c) Funding.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall use not less than 
        $7,500,000 of amounts made available to the Secretary to carry 
        out this section.
            (2) Prioritization.--In funding activities under this 
        section, the Secretary shall prioritize funding in the 
        following manner:
                    (A) Any unobligated amounts made available to the 
                Secretary to carry out the activities of the Energy 
                Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office.
                    (B) Any unobligated amounts (other than those 
                described in subparagraph (A)) made available to the 
                Secretary.

Summary: Smart Water Management Conservation and Efficiency Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to establish and carry out a smart water management pilot program to award grants to three to five eligible entities to demonstrate and deploy novel and innovative technology-based solutions that will: (1) increase the energy and water efficiency of drinking water, wastewater treatment, and water reuse systems. (2) improve such systems to help communities make significant progress in conserving water, saving energy, and reducing costs. And (3) support the implementation of innovative processes and the installation of advanced automated systems that provide real-time data on energy and water. Directs the Secretary, in selecting grant recipient, to consider: energy and cost savings, the novelty of the technology to be used. The degree to which the project integrates next-generation sensors, software, analytics, and management tools. The anticipated cost-effectiveness of the pilot project in terms of energy efficiency savings, water savings or reuse, and infrastructure costs averted. Whether the technology can be deployed in a variety of geographic regions and the degree to which the technology can be implemented on a smaller or larger scale. And whether the project will be completed in five years or less. Requires the Secretary to evaluate, annually, each project for which a grant is provided and make best practices identified available to the public.