Water Efficiency Innovation Act of 2015

To provide for the advancement of energy-water efficiency research, development, and deployment activities. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Water Efficiency Innovation Act of 2015 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Department The term Department (2) Industrial Assessment Center The term Industrial Assessment Center (A) receives funding from the Department; (B) provides an in-depth assessment of small- and medium-sized manufacturer plant sites to evaluate the facilities, services, and manufacturing operations of the plant sites; and (C) identifies opportunities for potential savings for small- and medium-sized manufacturer plant sites from energy efficiency improvements, waste minimization, pollution prevention, and productivity improvement. (3) Secretary The term Secretary 3. Leveraging existing agency programs to advance energy-water efficiency (a) Findings Congress finds that— (1) through the Industrial Assessment Centers of the Department, the Department provides technical assistance to facilitate efficiency improvements at small- and medium-sized manufacturers while training engineering students for energy careers; (2) the efficiency improvements described in paragraph (1) reduce energy demand, help manufacturers operate more competitively, and catalyze the use of new technologies and best practices; (3) water and wastewater treatment are energy-intensive processes, and opportunities for efficiency upgrades can be limited by technical expertise, particularly at small utilities; and (4) through the Industrial Assessment Centers of the Department, the Department has recently engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency in a pilot effort to target energy efficiency in water and wastewater treatment facilities. (b) Expansion of technical assistance The Secretary shall expand the Industrial Assessment Centers of the Department, working across Federal agencies as necessary— (1) to provide comparable assessment services to water and wastewater treatment facilities, including systems that treat municipal, industrial, and agricultural waste; and (2) to equip the Directors of the Industrial Assessment Centers with the training and tools necessary to provide technical assistance on energy savings to those facilities. 4. Funding The Secretary shall carry out this Act using unobligated funds of the Department.

Summary: Water Efficiency Innovation Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand its Industrial Assessment Centers program to: (1) provide assessment services to water and wastewater treatment facilities comparable to those for other energy efficiency improvements, and (2) equip the centers with the training and tools necessary to provide technical assistance on energy savings to those facilities. A center is located at an institution of higher education that: (1) receives funding from DOE; (2) provides an in-depth assessment of small- and medium-sized manufacturer plant sites to evaluate the facilities, services, and manufacturing operations of the plant sites; and (3) identifies opportunities for potential savings for those sites from energy efficiency improvements, waste minimization, pollution prevention, and productivity improvement.