Western lawmakers want $550M for water recycling

New legislation would expand a program from the bipartisan infrastructure law.

April 17, 2024

Major water recycling and reuse projects could see a boost from federal funds under new legislation introduced by a quartet of Western Democrats.

California Democratic Reps. Grace Napolitano and Jared Huffman on Tuesday introduced H.R. 7990, the "Large-Scale Water Recycling Reauthorization and Investment Act of 2024."

The bill, co-authored by Nevada Rep. Susie Lee (D) and Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, would extend a program first funded in the bipartisan infrastructure act in 2021.

"As we combat extreme drought and prepare for future water shortages in the arid West, Congress must provide additional funding opportunities now to help boost these existing large-scale recycling projects and get new ones off the ground," said Napolitano, ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment.

She pointed to existing projects in her home state, including Pure Water Southern California, a regional water recycling program between the Metropolitan Water District and the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.

Under the legislation, the program, originally funded at $450 million, would receive an additional $550 million for new projects led by state, tribal nation or local water authorities.

The lawmakers would also require projects to be larger, with a cost of at least $1 billion, or double the initial $500 million baseline required by Congress.

“This program for large-scale water recycling and reuse that we secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been a great success, and we shouldn’t let that progress peter out," Huffman said. "Our bill would reauthorize funding for this grant program, help bolster the great projects already underway, and ensure it can continue expanding."

The legislation would also extend the program beyond its current November 2026 expiration date, adding six years from the date the new bill is enacted, should Congress approve the measure.


By:  Jennifer Yachnin
Source: E&E Daily