E&E News: Western lawmakers want more support for water recycling
By Jennifer Yachnin
Western lawmakers are urging the Bureau of Reclamation to increase the amount of money it spends on water recycling projects, citing rising construction costs.
California Sen. Alex Padilla (D) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D) on Friday pressed the Biden administration to raise the per-project cap on federal funding for water recycling by $10 million, up from its current $30 million limit.
“As the West continues to recover from the impacts of long-term drought while also preparing for inevitable future droughts, it is imperative that the federal government continues to invest in local water supplies to meet the demands of recycled water in the West,” the lawmakers wrote in a Friday letter to Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton.
The letter, co-signed by nearly 30 Democrats, continued: “Increasing the per-project funding cap by adjusting for inflation would ensure that the BOR is bringing every tool and resource to bear to stretch limited water supplies and bolster drought resilience.”
Reclamation increased the limit to its current $30 million cap in 2022, up from the original $20 million limit set in 1996. That same law allows the agency to increase its spending cap based on inflation.
“For over thirty years, water reuse has been an incredibly valuable tool in the West to boost local water supplies and become more drought-resilient. Unfortunately, over the last few years, water infrastructure projects across the nation have been experiencing significant cost increases,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter states that $20 million in 1996 is worth approximately $40 million in today’s dollars, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, Reclamation may fund nonfederal projects to reuse wastewater or other surface water or groundwater, covering up to 25 percent of the costs of any planning or construction.
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