I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3182
To reauthorize the Water Desalination Act of 1996, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 30, 2005
Mr. POMBO (for himself and Mrs. TAUSCHER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to 
the Committee on Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the Water Desalination Act of 1996, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Water Supply 
Enhancement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to provide for the development of economi-
cally viable advanced water supply enhancement
demonstration projects, including desalination, that 
would provide access to untapped water sources; 
(2) to facilitate the widespread commercializa-
tion of newly developed water supply for use in real-
world applications; and 
(3) to facilitate collaboration among Federal 
agencies in the development of advanced water sup-
ply demonstration projects, including desalination. 
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF WATER DESALINATION ACT 
OF 1996. 
Section 8 of the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (42 
U.S.C. 10301 note) is amended—
(1) in subsection (a) in the first sentence by 
striking ‘‘per year’’ and all that follows through the 
end of the sentence and inserting ‘‘for each of fiscal 
years 2005 through 2010.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘$25,000,000’’ 
and all that follows and inserting ‘‘$75,000,000 for 
fiscal years 2005 through 2010.’’. 
SEC. 4. DESALINATION AND WATER SUPPLY ENHANCE-
MENT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Water De-
salination Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 10301 note) is further 
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘SEC. 10. DESALINATION AND WATER SUPPLY ENHANCE-
MENT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish an advanced water supply enhancement program and, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, shall fund re-
search, development, and demonstration projects for the 
development and commercialization of advanced water 
supply technologies and processes, including desalination. 
‘‘(b) COORDINATION WITH CALIFORNIA FEDERAL 
WATER RESEARCH FACILITY.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall coordi-
nate with a California Federal research facility with 
experience working with State and local water au-
thorities to carry out water treatment and water 
quality technology development —
‘‘(A) focusing on efficient desalination and 
technologies for selective extraction of contami-
nants; 
‘‘(B) using resident advanced supercom-
puter modeling to optimize technology design; 
and 
‘‘(C) emphasizing unique new technologies, 
membranes, and materials, excluding incre-
mental 
development 
of 
conventional 
tech-
nologies.
‘‘(2) STATE AND LOCAL WATER NEEDS.—The 
Secretary and the California research facility shall 
work with local water agencies and city governments 
in carrying out the program under this section to 
find solutions for local water needs.’’. 
(b) REPORT.—Within one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
submit a report to the Congress that identifies Federal 
research facilities located around the United States that 
could serve as regional centers for water supply enhance-
ment under the program established under section 10 of 
the Water Desalination Act of 1996, as amended by this 
section. 
(c) STUDY OF CONCENTRATES PRODUCED IN THE 
PRODUCTION OF COASTAL AND BRACKISH DESALINATED 
WATERS.—
(1) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Interior shall 
conduct a study of the management and disposal of 
concentrates 
produced 
in 
the 
production 
of 
desalinated waters from coastal water and brackish 
water. The Secretary shall evaluate possible solu-
tions to the management and disposal of con-
centrates. 
(2) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to 
the Congress a report on the findings, conclusions,
and recommendations of the study under this sub-
section by not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act.
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