I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1106

To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to

make grants to State agencies with responsibility for water source development for the purpose of maximizing available water supply and protecting the environment through the development of alternative water

sources.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 11, 1999

Mr. THURMAN (for herself, Mrs. FOWLER, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. MICA,

Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BOYD, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Mr.

DEAL of Georgia, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida,

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr.

SHAW, Mr. STEARNS, and Mr. YOUNG of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to make grants to State agencies with responsibility for water source development for the purpose

of maximizing available water supply and protecting the

environment through the development of alternative

water sources.

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. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alternative Water

3 Sources Act of 1999’’.

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

5 In this Act, the following definitions apply:

6 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis7 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ8 mental Protection Agency.

9 (2) ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE PROJECT.—

10 The term ‘‘alternative water source project’’ means

11 a project designed to provide municipal, industrial,

12 and agricultural water supplies in an environ13 mentally sustainable manner by conserving, manag14 ing, treating, reclaiming, or reusing water or waste15 water.

16 (3) CRITICAL WATER SUPPLY NEEDS.—The

17 term ‘‘critical water supply needs’’ means existing or

18 reasonably anticipated future water supply needs

19 that cannot be met by existing water supplies, as

20 identified in a comprehensive statewide or regional

21 water supply plan or assessment projected over a

22 planning period of at least 20 years.

23 SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE

24 PROJECTS.

25 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator is authorized

26 to make grants for alternative water source projects to
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1 State, interstate, and intrastate water resource develop2 ment agencies (including water management districts and

3 water supply authorities), local government agencies, pri4 vate utilities, and nonprofit entities.

5 (b) ELIGIBLE AGENCY.—The Administrator may

6 make grants under this section to an entity only if the

7 entity has authority under State law to develop or provide

8 water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses in

9 an area of the State that is experiencing critical water

10 supply needs.

11 (c) ELIGIBLE PROJECT.—

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may

13 make grants under this section for an alternative

14 water source project only if the purpose of the

15 project is to meet critical water supply needs and,

16 for projects for which the Federal share exceeds

17 $3,000,000, a committee resolution has been adopt18 ed pursuant to subsection (d)(1).

19 (2) LIMITATION.—A project located within the

20 boundaries of a State or area referred to in section

21 1 of the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat.

22 385) and within the geographic scope of the rec23 lamation and reuse program under the Reclamation

24 Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992
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1 (43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) shall not be eligible for

2 grant assistance under this section.

3 (d) COMMITTEE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—No appropriation shall be

5 made for any project under this section, the total

6 Federal cost of which exceeds $3,000,000, if such

7 project has not been approved by a resolution adopt8 ed by the Committee on Transportation and Infra9 structure of the House of Representatives or the

10 Committee on Environment and Public Works of the

11 Senate.

12 (2) REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURING CONSIDER13 ATION.—For purposes of securing consideration of

14 approval under paragraph (1), the Administrator

15 shall provide to a committee referred to in para16 graph (1) such information as the committee re17 quests and the non-Federal sponsor shall provide to

18 the committee information on the costs and relative

19 needs for the project.

20 (e) USES OF GRANTS.—Amounts from grants re21 ceived under this section may be used for engineering, de22 sign, construction, and final testing of alternative water

23 source projects designed to meet critical water supply

24 needs. Such amounts may not be used for planning, fea-
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1 sibility studies or for operation, maintenance, replacement,

2 repair, or rehabilitation.

3 (f) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the eligi4 ble costs of a project carried out using assistance made

5 available under this section shall not exceed 50 percent.

6 SEC. 4. REPORTS.

7 (a) REPORTS TO ADMINISTRATOR.—Each recipient

8 of a grant under section 3 shall submit to the Adminis9 trator, not later than 18 months after the date of receipt

10 of the grant and biennially thereafter until completion of

11 the project funded by the grant, a report on eligible activi12 ties carried out by the grant recipient using amounts from

13 the grant.

14 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—On or before September

15 30, 2005, the Administrator shall transmit to Congress

16 a report on the progress made toward meeting the critical

17 water supply needs of the grant recipients under section

18 3.

19 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

20 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out

21 this Act $75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through

22 2004. Such sums shall remain available until expended.

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