Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives in late February proposes to dramatically increase federal funding for water reuse and recycling projects, both in the West and across the United States.
Sponsored by Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), the Water Recycling Investment and Improvement Act (H.R. 5127) seeks to build on reforms made to the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI program as part of the 2016 WIIN Act. That legislation converted Title XVI into a competitive grant program and authorized spending up to $50 million on grants for water recycling projects that reclaim and reuse municipal, industrial, domestic or agricultural wastewater and naturally impaired ground or surface waters. The new legislation would boost this authorization to $500 million, while eliminating requirements that funded projects must be in drought or disaster-affected areas, and that individual projects must be designated in appropriations legislation approved by Congress.
Because eligibility for Title XVI funding is only available to projects in Western states, H.R. 5127 would reauthorize EPA’s expired Alternative Water Source projects program under section 202 of the Clean Water Act at $375 million. EPA would distribute the funding across the country as grants to alternative water source projects that are designed to meet critical water supply needs, with the federal cost share limited to 50 percent.
As of late March, H.R. 5127 enjoyed the support of 14 Democratic cosponsors, but no Republicans. The bill’s supporters may attempt to add it to Water Resources Development Act legislation the House is expected to consider later this year.