I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4610 

To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities 

Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in a series 

of water reclamation projects to provide a new water supply to communities previously impacted by perchlorate contamination plumes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 24, 2016 

Mr. KNIGHT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 

Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of 

the Interior to participate in a series of water reclamation projects to provide a new water supply to communities previously impacted by perchlorate contamination 

plumes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. WATER PROJECTS FOR COMMUNITIES IM2 PACTED BY PERCHLORATE CONTAMINATION 

3 PLUMES. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Reclamation Wastewater and 

5 Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (Public Law 102– 

6 575, title XVI; 43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) is amended by 

7 adding at the end the following new section: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 163ll. WATER PROJECTS FOR COMMUNITIES IM9 PACTED BY PERCHLORATE CONTAMINATION 

10 PLUMES. 

11 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 

12 the Bureau of Reclamation, may participate in projects 

13 to benefit eligible communities through projects to accom14 plish one or more of the following: 

15 ‘‘(1) Capture and treat wastewater and dis16 tribution of recycled water from a new mixed-use de17 velopment that cannot otherwise be economically 

18 provided recycled water from one or more existing 

19 water reclamation plants and recycled water dis20 tribution systems. 

21 ‘‘(2) Adjust or forego a portion of facility ca22 pacity or connection fees otherwise paid by the prop23 erty owner to a regional water agency that imports 

24 out-of-basin water supplies, thus reducing the import 

25 of out-of-basin supplies and providing incentives to 


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1 the property owner to construct one or more of the 

2 following: 

3 ‘‘(A) Onsite treatment facilities. 

4 ‘‘(B) Onsite reclamation facilities. 

5 ‘‘(C) Recycled water distribution facilities. 

6 ‘‘(3) The extension of local recycled water dis7 tribution systems to properties adjacent to new 

8 mixed-use development. 

9 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE COMMUNITIES.—For the purposes of 

10 this section, the term ‘eligible communities’ means com11 munities that meet all of the following criteria: 

12 ‘‘(1) In a State under a state of drought emer13 gency as declared by the Governor of that State. 

14 ‘‘(2) In a community where water retailers have 

15 been directed by the State Water Resources Control 

16 Board or equivalent government agency of that 

17 State to reduce consumption or use of potable water 

18 usage between 24 to 32 percent. 

19 ‘‘(3) In a community whose sanitation district 

20 or equivalent government agency district where that 

21 district has been directed by a regional water quality 

22 control board or equivalent government agency to re23 duce the discharge of chloride in order to comply 

24 with basin water quality standards. 


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1 ‘‘(c) PRIORITY PROJECTS.—The Secretary shall give 

2 priority to projects that meet one or more of the following 

3 criteria: 

4 ‘‘(1) Will serve a region that has received Fed5 eral authorization for projects associated with per6 chlorate contamination remediation programs under 

7 the Bureau of Reclamation or the Army Corps of 

8 Engineers. 

9 ‘‘(2) Is located in or will serve a region that has 

10 completed feasibility studies for perchlorate remedi11 ation efforts. 

12 ‘‘(3) Will serve a region where the regional 

13 water agency that imports out-of-basin water sup14 plies has a wholesale area that includes a population 

15 of at least 200,000 and not more than 350,000. 

16 ‘‘(d) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the cost 

17 of a project described in subsection (a) shall not exceed 

18 25 percent of the total cost of the project. 

19 ‘‘(e) LIMITATION.—Funds provided by the Secretary 

20 shall not be used for operation and maintenance of a 

21 project described in subsection (a).’’. 

22 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of sec23 tions in section 2 of Public Law 102–575 is amended by 

24 inserting after the last item relating to title XVI the fol25 lowing: 


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‘‘163ll. Water projects for communities impacted by perchlorate contamination plumes.’’. 

Æ 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS