I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3275 
To provide drought relief through innovation, increased water supply, and 
regional adaptation and self-sufficiency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 17, 2017 
Mr. MCNERNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on 
Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, 
Science, Space, and Technology, Ways and Means, and Foreign Affairs, 
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 provide drought relief through innovation, increased water 
supply, and regional adaptation and self-sufficiency, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be referred to as 
the ‘‘Water and Energy Sustainability through Technology 
Act’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—WATER INNOVATION THROUGH ENERGY-WATER NEXUS 
TECHNOLOGY AND DATA 
Subtitle A—Energy-Water Nexus Technology and Data 
Sec. 1111. DOE energy-water nexus findings, sense of Congress, and definition. 
Sec. 1112. National energy-water nexus database. 
Sec. 1113. Energy-water nexus technology R&D program. 
Sec. 1114. Smart energy and water efficiency program. 
Sec. 1115. State energy-water technology services program. 
Sec. 1116. Energy-water efficient buildings and power plants. 
Sec. 1117. Energy-water nexus data for power plants. 
Sec. 1118. Reclamation water conservation and energy savings. 
Sec. 1119. Rural water utilities energy and water efficiency program. 
Subtitle B—Improved Data, Technology, and Education 
Sec. 1221. DOI groundwater information system. 
Sec. 1222. EIA water consumption data collection in the residential and com-
mercial sectors. 
Sec. 1223. USGS water consumption analysis survey. 
Sec. 1224. Innovations at the nexus of food, energy, and water systems. 
Sec. 1225. USDA and DOI coordinated water conservation efforts. 
Sec. 1226. Agricultural technology centers. 
Sec. 1227. Efficient irrigation technical assistance grant program. 
Sec. 1228. United States-Israel Water Cooperation Working Group. 
TITLE II—INCREASED WATER SUPPLY AND REGIONAL SELF- 
SUFFICIENCY 
Sec. 2001. WaterSMART reauthorization. 
Sec. 2002. Amendment to competitive grant program for water recycling and 
reuse projects. 
Sec. 2003. Recycling standards assistance. 
Sec. 2004. Stormwater management and technical assistance. 
Sec. 2005. Groundwater management technical assistance. 
Sec. 2006. Groundwater recharge program. 
Sec. 2007. Community water enhancement. 
Sec. 2008. Water system mitigation and adaptation grants. 
Sec. 2009. WaterSense program. 
Sec. 2010. State residential water efficiency and conservation incentives pro-
gram. 
Sec. 2011. Appropriative water rights charitable tax deduction. 
Sec. 2012. Storage. 
TITLE III—IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE 
Sec. 3001. Water leak control technology study. 
Sec. 3002. Water main break data clearinghouse. 
Sec. 3003. Sustainable Water Loss Control Program. 
Sec. 3004. Tax-exempt facility bonds. 
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Sec. 3005. Improving green infrastructure and community water systems 
through State revolving loan funds. 
Sec. 3006. Best practices for administration of State revolving loan fund pro-
grams. 
TITLE IV—REPEAL CERTAIN TAX PREFERENCES FOR ENERGY 
AND NATURAL RESOURCE-BASED INDUSTRIES 
Sec. 4001. No expensing for intangible drilling and development costs for oil 
and gas wells. 
Sec. 4002. Repeal of percentage depletion. 
TITLE V—SAVINGS CLAUSE 
Sec. 5001. Savings clause. 
TITLE 
I—WATER 
INNOVATION 
THROUGH 
ENERGY-WATER 
NEXUS 
TECHNOLOGY 
AND 
DATA 
Subtitle A—Energy-Water Nexus 
Technology and Data 
SEC. 1111. DOE ENERGY-WATER NEXUS FINDINGS, SENSE 
OF CONGRESS, AND DEFINITION. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Water and energy are essential resources 
that are inherently linked and interconnected. 
(2) In 2010, the U.S. water system consumed 
approximately 12.6 percent of the Nation’s energy 
according to a study by the University of Texas at 
Austin. 
(3) The Nation’s wastewater plants and drink-
ing water systems expend approximately $4 billion 
per year on energy to treat water. 
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(4) Water and wastewater facilities account for 
approximately 4 percent of U.S. electricity consump-
tion. 
(5) California water systems together consume 
approximately 19 percent of the State’s electricity. 
(6) If water and wastewater utilities could re-
duce energy use by just 10 percent using demand 
management and cost-effective investments in energy 
efficiency, it would save about $400 million annu-
ally. 
(7) The energy-water nexus is integral to com-
bating and mitigating the effects of climate change 
and enhancing energy and water security. 
(8) The Government Accountability Office has 
issued several reports calling for improved informa-
tion and coordination from the Department of En-
ergy with respect to the energy-water nexus, includ-
ing improving Federal data for power plants, im-
proving information on water produced during oil 
and gas production, and increasing Federal coordi-
nation to better manage energy and water tradeoffs. 
(9) The Department of Energy’s Energy-Water 
Nexus Crosscut Team is a collaboration of agencies, 
national laboratories, State and local governments, 
utilities, industry stakeholders, and the science and 
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environmental community that work to address 
water and energy challenges and opportunities. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that Congress supports— 
(1) with respect to the energy-water nexus— 
(A) an advanced, integrated data, mod-
eling, and analysis platform to improve under-
standing and inform decision making for a 
broad range of users and at multiple scales; and 
(B) investments in targeted technology re-
search that offer the greatest potential for posi-
tive impact; 
(2) innovative technology advances that address 
the challenges relating to the energy-water nexus; 
and 
(3) the Department of Energy’s Energy-Water 
Nexus Crosscut Team and its mission. 
(c) DEFINITION
OF ENERGY-WATER NEXUS.—In 
this Act, the term ‘‘energy-water nexus’’ means the links 
between energy and water systems, including— 
(1) the water needed to produce fuels, generate 
electricity, and produce other forms of energy; 
(2) the energy needed to transport, reclaim, 
treat, and reuse— 
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(A) water, including water needed for heat-
ing and cooling; and 
(B) wastewater, including produced waters; 
(3) the energy available in organic wastewaters 
and wet waste streams, including municipal and in-
dustrial wastewaters and livestock manures; and 
(4) the waste heat available in industrial proc-
ess and cooling water discharges, steam system con-
densate and cooling water, and thermoelectric cool-
ing water discharges. 
SEC. 1112. NATIONAL ENERGY-WATER NEXUS DATABASE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 4 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy 
shall establish and maintain an energy-water nexus data-
base. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the database are— 
(1) to advance the availability, timely distribu-
tion, and widespread use of data and information re-
lating to the energy-water nexus for energy and 
water management, education, research, assessment, 
and monitoring purposes; 
(2) to advance understanding of interactions be-
tween energy and water systems through access to 
data, including models and modeling results; 
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