I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5310
To authorize appropriations to promote innovation and technology transfer
in wastewater discharge reduction and water conservation, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 26, 2000
Ms. WOOLSEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
A BILL
To authorize appropriations to promote innovation and tech-
nology transfer in wastewater discharge reduction and
water conservation, 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 ‘‘Industrial Conserva-
tion and Efficiency Water Act’’.
SEC. 2. WASTEWATER DISCHARGE REDUCTION AND WATER
CONSERVATION PROGRAM.
Not later than January 1, 2001, the Administrator
of the Environmental Protection Agency shall establish a
program to provide assistance to municipal entities, in-
cluding publicly owned treatment works, and non govern-
mental organizations and associations, including water-
shed groups sponsored by governmental entities, whose
mission relates to water conservation and efficiency. The
assistance may only be used to support non-Federal vol-
untary programs that seek to promote new technologies
and processes to reduce the use of water and the discharge
of wastewater from commercial and industrial entities.
SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE.
Assistance provided under this Act shall include—
(1) technical and planning assistance, which
shall include, but not be limited to, studies, waste-
water audits, modeling, data collection, surveys,
preconstruction, engineering, and design assistance;
(2) financial assistance (including the provision
of direct grants to municipal entities, loan guaran-
tees, and the establishment of locally based revolving
loan programs through commercial lending institu-
tions), which will reduce the cost of improvements
(including the cost of capital improvements) that will
lead to reductions in wastewater discharges and
water usage by commercial and industrial entities;
and
(3) non-Federal program development, which
shall include funding for a period of up to 2 years
for personnel to assist in the development and imple-
mentation of a program that meets the goals of this
Act.
SEC. 4. SELECTION CRITERIA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency shall select proposals to be
funded under this Act on the basis of one or more of the
following:
(1) Reductions in the discharge of wastewater
from commercial and industrial entities.
(2) Cost-effectiveness.
(3) Energy efficiency.
(4) Other environmental and economic benefits,
including brownfields cleanup and redevelopment,
job retention, and economic revitalization.
(5) Reductions in the demand for water.
(6) Technical feasibility and ability to replicate
at other locations.
(7) Technology transfer plan for distributing
the results of the proposal to be funded.
(8) Relationship to other efforts to reduce water
pollution.
(b) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In selecting proposals
to be funded under this Act, the Administrator shall make
every effort to ensure geographic diversity in those pro-
posals funded.
SEC. 5. ELIGIBILITY OF CERTAIN TREATMENT WORKS.
A treatment works shall be treated as a publicly
owned treatment works for purposes of this Act if the
treatment works, without regard to ownership, would be
considered a publicly owned treatment works under the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act and is principally
treating municipal wastewater or domestic sewage.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Ad-
ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for
carrying out this Act $25,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Such funds
shall remain available until expended.
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