I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3243
To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
make grants to State agencies with responsibility for water resource
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
FEBRUARY 12, 1998
Mrs. THURMAN (for herself, Mrs. FOWLER, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr.
BOYD, Mr. DAVIS of Florida, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. HASTINGS
of Florida, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, and Mr. WEXLER) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
A BILL
To authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency to make grants to State agencies with re-
sponsibility for water resource development for the pur-
pose of maximizing available water supply and protecting
the environment through the development of alternative
water sources.
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 ‘‘Alternative Water
Source Development Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE PROJECT.—
The term ‘‘alternative water source project’’ means
a project intended to preserve and protect, and
maximize use of, existing sources of potable, com-
mercial, industrial, or agricultural water by conserv-
ing, managing, reclaiming, or reusing water or
wastewater.
(2) CRITICAL
WATER
SUPPLY
NEEDS.—The
term ‘‘critical water supply needs’’ means existing
water supply that is not projected to meet future de-
mand over a 20-year planning period.
SEC. 3. ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE DEVELOPMENT PRO-
GRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency shall establish a program
under which the Administrator will make grants to State,
interstate, and intrastate water resource development
agencies (including water management districts and water
supply authorities), and local government agencies, that
have authority to develop water resources for potable,
commercial, industrial, or agricultural uses. The Adminis-
trator shall only make a grant under the program to an
agency having authority within the boundaries of a State
if the State is experiencing critical water supply needs.
Such grants shall be for the purpose of assisting such
agencies in the development and construction of alter-
native water source projects in accordance with this Act.
(b) PURPOSES
OF PROGRAM.—The Administrator
shall carry out the program—
(1) to demonstrate methods of developing alter-
native water source technologies including methods
and applications to conserve, manage, reclaim, and
reuse water; and
(2) to protect groundwater from overpumping
and to preserve minimum flows and levels of surface
water bodies.
(c) ELIGIBLE AGENCY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall only
make a grant under this section to an agency de-
scribed in subsection (a) if the agency has—
(A) engaged in a planning effort to assess
the availability of water resources and the need
to develop alternative sources and produced a
comprehensive water resource plan designed to
meet expected water resource needs for a 20-
year period;
(B) demonstrated that currently available
water resources will not be sufficient to provide
for expected potable, commercial, industrial,
and agricultural needs over the next 20 years;
and
(C) has agreed to provide 50 percent of the
cost of the project to be funded with the grant.
(2) LIMITATION.—No agency of a State eligible
for assistance or receiving funds under the Reclama-
tion Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of
1992 (43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) shall be eligible for
grant assistance under this Act.
(d) USES OF GRANT.—Grants made by the Adminis-
trator under this section may be used for engineering,
planning, design, and construction.
(e) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost
of activities carried out with grants made under this sec-
tion shall be 50 percent.
SEC. 4. REPORTS.
(a) REPORTS TO ADMINISTRATOR.—Each recipient
of a grant under section 2 shall submit to the Adminis-
trator of the Environmental Protection Agency, not later
than 18 months after the date of receipt of the grant and
biennially thereafter for the term of the program under
this Act, a report on eligible activities carried out by the
grant recipient.
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—On or before the last
day of the fifth fiscal year beginning after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall transmit
to Congress a report on the results of the program con-
ducted under this Act, together with an analysis on the
extent to which the purposes described in section 2(b) have
been realized and recommendations for appropriate ad-
ministrative and legislative actions.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this Act $50,000,000 per fiscal year for each of the first
5 fiscal years beginning after the date of the enactment
of this Act. Such sums shall remain available until ex-
pended.
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