FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2006
For more information contact:
Zachary Dorsey, WateReuse Association
(703) 548-0880 or zdorsey@WateReuse.org
WATEREUSE ASSOCIATION TESTIFIES BEFORE CONGRESS ON
BUREAU OF RECLAMATION CHALLENGES; PRAISES TITLE XVI PROGRAM
Alexandria, VA – The WateReuse Association has been active on Capitol Hill this congressional season, responding to two recent requests to give testimony before congressional subcommittees. In an April 5 House hearing, the Association offered comments on a new report assessing the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s (USBR) challenges for the future. And in a February 28 Senate hearing, the Association praised USBR’s Title XVI water reclamation and reuse program and recommended that it be expanded.
The House Committee on Resources’ Subcommittee on Water and Power invited the Association to its April 5 hearing to provide specific comments on a report prepared by the National Research Council (NRC) entitled Managing Construction and Infrastructure in the 21st Century Bureau of Reclamation.
“We agree strongly with the NRC report findings that the Bureau of Reclamation’s mission is evolving and that additional emphasis needs to be placed on water conservation, recycling, reuse, and desalination technologies,” said Wade Miller, the Association’s Executive Director.
The NRC report singles out the maintenance and restoration of the capacity of its existing infrastructure as perhaps the largest challenge facing the Bureau. Miller suggested that an operating model worthy of consideration would be for the Bureau to focus the majority of its resources on the substantial backlog of infrastructure needs while allowing future water supply needs to be addressed through the active participation of local agencies, such as occurs currently through the highly successful Title XVI water reuse program.
Miller also told the Subcommittee that the Association believes it is important for the Bureau to benchmark its administrative costs against comparable federal agencies and also with state agencies to keep overhead to a minimum.
“I would suggest to the Subcommittee that on the research side of the ledger, we have worked
exceedingly well with Bureau staff to implement an aggressive program of research that has managed to limit overhead costs,” Miller said
In the February 28 hearing, the Association voiced strong support for USBR’s Title XVI water reclamation and reuse program and recommended the addition of a national competitive grants program, a reduction in the federal cost sharing threshold, and a federally funded national survey to quantify the benefits of current and future projects.
The Association’s National Legislative Committee Chairman Richard W. Atwater, General Manager of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency, represented the Association before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resource’s Subcommittee on Water and Power.
“The Association believes that the Title XVI program is an unqualified success and represents a sound investment in the future of the West by the federal government,” Atwater told the subcommittee.
Atwater lauded the federal investment in the Title XVI program. Of the 32 specific projects authorized to date, 21 have received funding. Of these, nine have been included in the President’s budget request. Including anticipated expenditures during FY 2006, approximately $325
million will have been expended by USBR on these projects by the end of the current fiscal year. This investment has been leveraged by a factor of about 5:1 through local spending.
Atwater also pointed out some of the benefits of investing in water recycling that extend beyond specific projects such as the environmental benefits of turning treated wastewater into a new water supply, avoiding the construction impacts of new supply development, creating a dependable
supply for cities in arid regions, and the energy benefits gained through pumping in less imported water.
“A fundamental question is ‘why would we want to use valuable, high quality water from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Shasta Reservoir in northern California or Lake Powell in Utah and pump and transport it over 500 miles to irrigate a park or golf course in the Los Angeles or San Diego metropolitan areas?’ ”
While the Association emphasized the successes of the Title XVI program before the Subcommittee, Atwater also offered suggestions for improvement. WateReuse supports the establishment of a $200 million per year national competitive grants program that would provide federal grant funding for which communities in all 50 states would be eligible. Only the 17 western states are currently eligible for Title XVI funding.
Atwater also explained that the Association advocates a reduction in federal cost sharing to the lesser of $20 million or 20% of total project costs to allow more communities to participate in the Title XVI program. The current program allows a federal contribution of the lesser of $20
million or 25% of total project costs. The Association also recommended that the Congress fund a national survey of water reuse and recycling needs to quantify the benefits of existing and future Title XVI projects.
Atwater encouraged the federal government to take a stronger role in advancing water reuse and
desalination. “In the opinion of our Association, the federal government should take a leadership role in promoting water reclamation and reuse, desalination, groundwater recharge technology, and water use efficiency/conservation innovation.”
The WateReuse Association has a strong federal advocacy program. The Association lobbies for funding support for reuse research and local water reuse and desalination projects. WateReuse tracks relevant water legislation, supports bills important to members, and maintains close
contact with Congress and federal agencies.
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WateReuse Association is a national organization whose mission is to increase the amount of high quality water available for communities and the environment by promoting and investing in water reuse. The Association's membership consists of water agencies, public agencies, consulting firms, and local, state, and federal government agencies. WateReuse is involved in national advocacy, public education and outreach, and water reuse research.