I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5127 

To establish a grant program for the funding of water recycling and reuse 

projects, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2018 

Mrs. NAPOLITANO (for herself, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. DESAULNIER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. NORTON, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. 

CARBAJAL, and Ms. BROWNLEY of California) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 

addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a 

period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish a grant program for the funding of water 

recycling and reuse projects, 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 ‘‘Water Recycling In5 vestment and Improvement Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE FUNDING 

2 OF WATER RECYCLING AND REUSE 

3 PROJECTS. 

4 (a) COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE FUND5 ING OF WATER RECYCLING AND REUSE PROJECTS.—Sec6 tion 1602(f) of the Reclamation Wastewater and Ground7 water Study and Facilities Act (title XVI of Public Law 

8 102–575; 43 U.S.C. 390h et. seq.) is amended by striking 

9 paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the following: 

10 ‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—When funding projects under 

11 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give funding pri12 ority to projects that meet one or more of the fol13 lowing criteria: 

14 ‘‘(A) Projects that are likely to provide a 

15 more reliable water supply for States and local 

16 governments. 

17 ‘‘(B) Projects that are likely to increase 

18 the water management flexibility and reduce 

19 impacts on environmental resources from 

20 projects operated by Federal and State agen21 cies. 

22 ‘‘(C) Projects that are regional in nature. 

23 ‘‘(D) Projects with multiple stakeholders. 

24 ‘‘(E) Projects that provide multiple bene25 fits, including water supply reliability, eco-sysVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:56 Mar 05, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5127.IH H5127

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1 tem benefits, groundwater management and en2 hancements, and water quality improvements.’’. 

3 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

4 1602(g) of the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 

5 Study and Facilities Act (title XVI of Public Law 102– 

6 575; 43 U.S.C. 390h et. seq.) is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘$50,000,000’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘$500,000,000’’; and 

9 (2) by striking ‘‘if enacted appropriations legis10 lation designates funding to them by name,’’. 

11 (c) DURATION.—Section 4013 of the WIIN Act (43 

12 U.S.C. 390b(2)) is amended— 

13 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’; 

14 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period and 

15 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

16 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(3) section 4009(c).’’. 

18 (d) REPEAL OF LIMITATIONS ON FUNDING.— 

19 (1) RECLAMATION WASTEWATER AND GROUND20 WATER STUDY AND FACILITIES ACT.—Section 1631 

21 of the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 

22 Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h–13) is 

23 amended by striking subsection (d). 


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1 (2) CLEAN WATER ACT.—Section 220 of the 

2 Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 

3 1300) is amended to read as follows: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 220. PROGRAM FOR ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE 

5 PROJECTS. 

6 ‘‘(a) POLICY.—Nothing in this section shall be con7 strued to affect the application of section 101(g) of this 

8 Act and all of the provisions of this section shall be carried 

9 out in accordance with the provisions of section 101(g). 

10 ‘‘(b) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator may estab11 lish a program to make grants to State, interstate, and 

12 intrastate water resource development agencies (including 

13 water management districts and water supply authorities), 

14 local government agencies, private utilities, and nonprofit 

15 entities for alternative water source projects to meet crit16 ical water supply needs. 

17 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The Administrator may 

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

19 entity has authority under State law to develop or provide 

20 water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses in 

21 an area of the State that is experiencing critical water 

22 supply needs. 

23 ‘‘(d) SELECTION OF PROJECTS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) LIMITATION.—A project that has received 

25 funds for construction under the reclamation and 


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1 reuse program conducted under the Reclamation 

2 Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 

3 (43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) shall not be eligible for 

4 grant assistance under this section. 

5 ‘‘(2) GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.—Alter6 native water source projects selected by the Adminis7 trator under this section shall reflect a variety of 

8 geographical and environmental conditions. 

9 ‘‘(e) USES OF GRANTS.—Amounts from grants re10 ceived under this section may be used for engineering, de11 sign, construction, and final testing of alternative water 

12 source projects designed to meet critical water supply 

13 needs. Such amounts may not be used for planning, feasi14 bility studies, operation, maintenance, replacement, repair, 

15 or rehabilitation. 

16 ‘‘(f) COST SHARING.—The Federal share of the eligi17 ble costs of an alternative water source project carried out 

18 using assistance made available under this section shall 

19 not exceed 50 percent. 

20 ‘‘(g) REPORTS.—On or before September 30, 2023, 

21 the Administrator shall transmit to Congress a report on 

22 the results of the program established under this section, 

23 including progress made toward meeting the critical water 

24 supply needs of the participants in the program. 


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1 ‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 

2 definitions apply: 

3 ‘‘(1) ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE PROJECT.— 

4 The term ‘alternative water source project’ means a 

5 project designed to provide municipal, industrial, 

6 and agricultural water supplies in an environ7 mentally sustainable manner by conserving, man8 aging, reclaiming, or reusing water, wastewater, or 

9 stormwater, or by treating wastewater or 

10 stormwater. Such term does not include water treat11 ment or distribution facilities. 

12 ‘‘(2) CRITICAL WATER SUPPLY NEEDS.—The 

13 term ‘critical water supply needs’ means existing or 

14 reasonably anticipated future water supply needs 

15 that cannot be met by existing water supplies, as 

16 identified in a comprehensive statewide or regional 

17 water supply plan or assessment projected over a 

18 planning period of at least 20 years. 

19 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

20 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section a 

21 total of $375,000,000 beginning in fiscal year 2019. Such 

22 sums shall remain available until expended.’’. 

Æ 


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