II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 968

To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to

make grants to State agencies with responsibility for water source development, for the purposes of maximizing the available water supply and

protecting the environment through the development of alternative water

sources, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

MAY 5, 1999

Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mr. MACK, Mr. CLELAND, Mrs. LINCOLN, and Mr.

ROBB), introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

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 purposes of maximizing the available water supply and protecting the environment through the development of alternative water sources, and for other purposes.

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

5 Sources Act of 1999’’.
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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

2 In this Act:

3 (1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis4 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ5 mental Protection Agency.

6 (2) ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE PROJECT.—

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

8 a project designed to provide municipal, industrial,

9 or agricultural water supplies in an environmentally

10 sustainable manner by conserving, managing, treat11 ing, reclaiming, or reusing water or wastewater.

12 (3) CRITICAL WATER SUPPLY NEEDS.—The

13 term ‘‘critical water supply needs’’ means water sup14 ply needs, including reasonably anticipated future

15 water supply needs, that cannot be met by available

16 water supplies—

17 (A) as projected over a planning period of

18 at least 20 years; and

19 (B) as identified in a comprehensive State20 wide or regional water supply plan or assess21 ment.

22 SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE

23 PROJECTS.

24 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall make

25 grants to develop alternative water source projects to—
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1 (1) State, interstate, and intrastate water re2 source development agencies (including water man3 agement districts and water supply authorities);

4 (2) local government agencies;

5 (3) nonprofit entities; and

6 (4) private utilities.

7 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant

8 under this section, an agency, entity, or utility described

9 in subsection (a) shall have authority under State law to

10 provide water or develop water resources for municipal,

11 industrial, or agriculatural uses in an area of the State

12 that is experiencing critical water supply needs.

13 (c) ELIGIBLE PROJECT.—

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—A grant under this section

15 may only be used to carry out an alternative water

16 source project that is designed to meet critical water

17 supply needs.

18 (2) LIMITATION.—A grant under this section

19 shall not be used to carry out an alternative water

20 source project if the project is located in a State or

21 area that—

22 (A) is referred to in Federal reclamation

23 law (the Act of June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. 388,

24 chapter 1093), and Acts supplemental to and
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1 amendatory of that Act (43 U.S.C. 371 et

2 seq.)); and

3 (B) is within the geographic scope of the

4 reclamation and reuse program established

5 under the Wastewater and Groundwater Study

6 and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.).

7 (3) ELIGIBILITY FOR OTHER FEDERAL

8 GRANTS.—An alternative water source project that

9 is funded by a grant under this section shall be ineli10 gible to receive funds under any other Federal pro11 gram.

12 (d) USES OF GRANT.—

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Amounts from grants re14 ceived under this section may be used, with respect

15 to alternative water source projects designed to meet

16 critical water supply needs, for—

17 (A) engineering;

18 (B) design;

19 (C) construction; and

20 (D) final testing.

21 (2) PROHIBITED USES.—Amounts from grants

22 received under this section shall not be used, with

23 respect to alternative water source projects, for—

24 (A) planning;

25 (B) feasibility studies;
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1 (C) operation;

2 (D) maintenance;

3 (E) replacement;

4 (F) repair; or

5 (G) rehabilitation.

6 (e) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the eligi7 ble costs of an alternative water source project carried out

8 using assistance made available under this section shall

9 not exceed 50 percent.

10 SEC. 4. REPORTS.

11 (a) REPORTS TO ADMINISTRATOR.—Not later than

12 1 year and 180 days after the date of receipt of a grant

13 under section 3, and every 2 years thereafter until comple14 tion of the project funded by the grant, the recipient of

15 the grant shall submit to the Administrator a report on

16 eligible activities carried out by the grant recipient using

17 grant funds.

18 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Sep19 tember 30, 2005, the Administrator shall submit to Con20 gress a report on the progress made toward meeting the

21 critical water supply needs of the grant recipients under

22 section 3.
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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out

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

4 2004, to remain available until expended.

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