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† HR 146 EAS 
and through that section of the Project can be made 
to the Nation, the Secretary may waive, for a period 
of not more than 10 years, the operation, mainte-
nance, and replacement costs allocable to the Nation 
for that section of the Project that the Secretary deter-
mines are in excess of the ability of the Nation to 
pay. 
(2) SUBSEQUENT PAYMENT BY NATION.—After a 
waiver under paragraph (1), the Nation shall pay all 
allocated operation, maintenance, and replacement 
costs of that section of the Project. 
(3) PAYMENT BY UNITED STATES.—Any oper-
ation, maintenance, or replacement costs waived by 
the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be paid by 
the United States and shall be nonreimbursable. 
(4) EFFECT ON CONTRACTS.—Failure of the Sec-
retary to waive costs under paragraph (1) because of 
a lack of availability of Federal funding to pay the 
costs under paragraph (3) shall not alter the obliga-
tions of the Nation or the United States under a re-
payment contract. 
(5) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The author-
ity of the Secretary to waive costs under paragraph 
(1) with respect to a Project facility transferred to the
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† HR 146 EAS 
Nation under section 10602(f) shall terminate on the 
date on which the Project facility is transferred. 
(g) PROJECT CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE.—The Sec-
retary shall facilitate the formation of a project construc-
tion committee with the Project Participants and the State 
of New Mexico— 
(1) to review cost factors and budgets for con-
struction and operation and maintenance activities; 
(2) to improve construction management through 
enhanced communication; and 
(3) to seek additional ways to reduce overall 
Project costs. 
SEC. 10605. NAVAJO NATION MUNICIPAL PIPELINE. 
(a) USE OF NAVAJO NATION PIPELINE.—In addition 
to use of the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline to convey 
the Animas-La Plata Project water of the Nation, the Na-
tion may use the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline to con-
vey non-Animas La Plata Project water for municipal and 
industrial purposes. 
(b) CONVEYANCE OF TITLE TO PIPELINE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—On completion of the Navajo 
Nation Municipal Pipeline, the Secretary may enter 
into separate agreements with the City of Farm-
ington, New Mexico and the Nation to convey title to 
each portion of the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline
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† HR 146 EAS 
facility or section of the Pipeline to the City of Farm-
ington and the Nation after execution of a Project op-
erations agreement approved by the Secretary, the 
Nation, and the City of Farmington that sets forth 
any terms and conditions that the Secretary deter-
mines are necessary. 
(2) CONVEYANCE TO THE CITY OF FARMINGTON 
OR NAVAJO NATION.—In conveying title to the Navajo 
Nation Municipal Pipeline under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall convey— 
(A) to the City of Farmington, the facilities 
and any land or interest in land acquired by the 
United States for the construction, operation, 
and maintenance of the Pipeline that are located 
within the corporate boundaries of the City; and 
(B) to the Nation, the facilities and any 
land or interests in land acquired by the United 
States for the construction, operation, and main-
tenance of the Pipeline that are located outside 
the corporate boundaries of the City of Farm-
ington. 
(3) EFFECT OF CONVEYANCE.—The conveyance 
of title to the Pipeline shall not affect the application 
of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
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1531 et seq.) relating to the use of water associated 
with the Animas-La Plata Project. 
(4) LIABILITY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Effective on the date of 
the conveyance authorized by this subsection, the 
United States shall not be held liable by any 
court for damages of any kind arising out of any 
act, omission, or occurrence relating to the land, 
buildings, or facilities conveyed under this sub-
section, other than damages caused by acts of 
negligence committed by the United States or by 
employees or agents of the United States prior to 
the date of conveyance. 
(B) TORT
CLAIMS.—Nothing in this sub-
section increases the liability of the United 
States beyond the liability provided under chap-
ter 171 of title 28, United States Code (com-
monly known as the ‘‘Federal Tort Claims Act’’). 
(5) NOTICE
OF
PROPOSED
CONVEYANCE.—Not 
later than 45 days before the date of a proposed con-
veyance of title to the Pipeline, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on En-
ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate, notice of 
the conveyance of the Pipeline.
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SEC. 10606. AUTHORIZATION OF CONJUNCTIVE USE WELLS. 
(a) CONJUNCTIVE
GROUNDWATER
DEVELOPMENT 
PLAN.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Nation, in consultation with the Secretary, 
shall complete a conjunctive groundwater development plan 
for the wells described in subsections (b) and (c). 
(b) WELLS IN THE SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN.—In ac-
cordance with the conjunctive groundwater development 
plan, the Secretary may construct or rehabilitate wells and 
related pipeline facilities to provide capacity for the diver-
sion and distribution of not more than 1,670 acre-feet of 
groundwater in the San Juan River Basin in the State of 
New Mexico for municipal and domestic uses. 
(c) WELLS
IN
THE LITTLE COLORADO
AND RIO 
GRANDE BASINS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In accordance with the 
Project and conjunctive groundwater development 
plan for the Nation, the Secretary may construct or 
rehabilitate wells and related pipeline facilities to 
provide capacity for the diversion and distribution 
of— 
(A) not more than 680 acre-feet of ground-
water in the Little Colorado River Basin in the 
State of New Mexico;