I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6297 
To enhance the ability of drinking water utilities in the United States to 
develop and implement climate change adaptation programs and policies, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 18, 2008 
Ms. DEGETTE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science and Technology 
A BILL 
To enhance the ability of drinking water utilities in the 
United States to develop and implement climate change 
adaptation programs and policies, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Climate Change Drink-
ing Water Adaptation Research Act.’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
17:53 Jun 21, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
(1) the consensus among climate scientists is 
overwhelming that climate change is occurring more 
rapidly than can be attributed to natural causes, and 
that significant impacts to the water supply are al-
ready occurring; 
(2) among the first and most critical of those 
impacts will be change to patterns of precipitation 
around the world, which will affect water availability 
for the most basic drinking water and domestic 
water needs of populations in many areas of the 
United States; 
(3) drinking water utilities throughout the 
United States, as well as those in Europe, Australia, 
and Asia, are concerned that extended changes in 
precipitation will lead to extended droughts; 
(4) supplying water is highly energy-intensive 
and will become more so as climate change forces 
more utilities to turn to alternative supplies; 
(5) energy production consumes a significant 
percentage of the fresh water resources of the 
United States; 
(6) since 2003, the drinking water industry of 
the United States has sponsored, through a non-
profit water research foundation, various studies to 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
17:53 Jun 21, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS
assess the impacts of climate change on drinking 
water supplies; 
(7) those studies demonstrate the need for a 
comprehensive program of research into the full 
range of impacts on drinking water utilities, includ-
ing impacts on water supplies, facilities, and cus-
tomers; 
(8) that nonprofit water research foundation is 
also coordinating internationally with other drinking 
water utilities on shared research projects and has 
hosted international workshops with counterpart Eu-
ropean and Asian water research organizations to 
develop a unified research agenda for applied re-
search on adaptive strategies to address climate 
change impacts; 
(9) research data in existence as of the date of 
enactment of this Act— 
(A) summarize the best available scientific 
evidence on climate change; 
(B) identify the implications of climate 
change for the water cycle and the availability 
and quality of water resources; and 
(C) provide general guidance on planning 
and adaptation strategies for water utilities; 
and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
17:53 Jun 21, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with BILLS