[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3957 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 3957


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2008

 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 
                              Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
 To increase research, development, education, and technology transfer 
      activities related to water use efficiency and conservation 
   technologies and practices at the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Water Use Efficiency and 
Conservation Research Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Between 1950 and 2000, the United States population 
        increased nearly 90 percent. In that same period, public demand 
        for water increased 209 percent. Americans now use an average 
        of 100 gallons of water per person each day. This increased 
        demand has put additional stress on water supplies and 
        distribution systems, threatening both human health and the 
        environment.
            (2) Thirty-six States are anticipating local, regional, or 
        statewide water shortages by 2013. In addition, climate change 
        related effects are expected to exacerbate already scarce water 
        resources in many areas of the country.
            (3) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 
        assessment states that water stored in glaciers and snow cover 
        is projected to decline, reducing water availability to one-
        sixth of the world's population that relies upon meltwater from 
        major mountain ranges. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
        Change also predicts droughts will become more severe and 
        longer lasting in a number of regions.
            (4) Water conservation should be a national goal and the 
        Environmental Protection Agency should work with 
        nongovernmental partners to achieve that goal. The 
        Environmental Protection Agency should support the research, 
        development, and dissemination of technologies and processes 
        that will achieve greater water use efficiency.
            (5) WaterSense is a voluntary public-private partnership 
        program established by the Environmental Protection Agency to 
        promote water efficiency by helping consumers identify water-
        efficient products and practices. The Environmental Protection 
        Agency estimates that if all United States households installed 
        water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 
        3,000,000,000,000 gallons of water and more than 
        $17,000,000,000 per year.
            (6) The WaterSense program has developed a network of 
        partners, and therefore can disseminate the results of research 
        on technologies and processes that achieve greater water use 
        efficiency.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Assistant Administrator for Research and 
Development of the Environmental Protection Agency (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Assistant Administrator'') shall establish a 
research and development program consistent with the plan developed 
under section 4 that promotes water use efficiency and conservation, 
including--
            (1) technologies and processes that enable the collection, 
        storage, treatment, and reuse of rainwater, stormwater, and 
        greywater;
            (2) water storage and distribution systems;
            (3) behavioral, social, and economic barriers to achieving 
        greater water use efficiency; and
            (4) use of watershed planning directed toward water 
        quality, conservation, and supply.
    (b) Considerations.--In planning and implementing the program, the 
Assistant Administrator shall consider--
            (1) research needs identified by water resource managers, 
        State and local governments, and other interested parties; and
            (2) technologies and processes likely to achieve the 
        greatest increases in water use efficiency and conservation.
    (c) Minority Serving Institutions.--In the execution of this 
program, the Assistant Administrator may award extramural grants to 
institutions of higher education and shall encourage participation by 
Minority Serving Institutions.

SEC. 4. STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN.

    (a) In General.--The Assistant Administrator shall coordinate the 
development of a strategic research plan (in this Act referred to as 
the ``plan'') for the water use efficiency and conservation research 
and development program established in section 3 with all other 
Environmental Protection Agency research and development strategic 
plans.
    (b) Plan Contents.--The plan shall--
            (1) outline research goals and priorities for a water use 
        efficiency and conservation research agenda, including--
                    (A) developing innovative water supply-enhancing 
                processes and technologies; and
                    (B) improving existing processes and technologies, 
                including wastewater treatment, desalinization, and 
                groundwater recharge and recovery schemes;
            (2) identify current Federal research efforts on water that 
        are directed toward meeting the goals of improving water use 
        efficiency, water conservation, or expanding water supply and 
        describe how such efforts are coordinated with the program 
        established in section 3 in order to leverage resources and 
        avoid duplication; and
            (3) consider and utilize, as appropriate, recommendations 
        in reports and studies conducted by Federal agencies, the 
        National Research Council, the National Science and Technology 
        Council, or other entities in the development of the plan.
    (c) Science Advisory Board Review.--The Assistant Administrator 
shall submit the plan to the Science Advisory Board of the 
Environmental Protection Agency for review.
    (d) Revision.--The plan shall be revised and amended as needed to 
reflect current scientific findings and national research priorities.

SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.

    The Assistant Administrator, building on the results of the 
activities of the program established under section 3, shall--
            (1) facilitate the adoption of technology and processes to 
        promote water use efficiency and conservation; and
            (2) collect and disseminate information, including the 
        establishment of a publicly-accessible clearinghouse, on 
        technologies and processes to promote water use efficiency and 
        conservation, including information on--
                    (A) incentives and impediments to development and 
                commercialization;
                    (B) best practices; and
                    (C) anticipated increases in water use efficiency 
                and conservation resulting from the implementation of 
                specific technologies and processes.

SEC. 6. ADVANCED WATER EFFICIENCY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--As part of the program under section 3, the 
Assistant Administrator shall carry out at least 4 projects under which 
the funding is provided for the incorporation into a building of the 
latest water use efficiency and conservation technologies and designs. 
Funding for each project shall be provided only to cover incremental 
costs of water-use efficiency and conservation technologies.
    (b) Criteria.--Of the 4 projects described in subsection (a), at 
least 1 shall be for a residential building and at least 1 shall be for 
a commercial building.
    (c) Public Availability.--The designs of buildings with respect to 
which funding is provided under subsection (a) shall be made available 
to the public, and such buildings shall be accessible to the public for 
tours and educational purposes.

SEC. 7. REPORT.

    Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and once every 2 years thereafter, the Assistant Administrator shall 
transmit to Congress a report which details the progress being made by 
the Environmental Protection Agency with regard to--
            (1) water use efficiency and conservation research projects 
        initiated by the Agency;
            (2) development projects initiated by the Agency;
            (3) outreach and communication activities conducted by the 
        Agency concerning water use efficiency and conservation; and
            (4) development and implementation of the plan.

SEC. 8. WATER MANAGEMENT STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) Requirement.--The Administrator of the Environmental 
        Protection Agency shall enter into an arrangement with the 
        National Academy of Sciences to complete a study of low impact 
        and soft path strategies for management of water supply, 
        wastewater, and stormwater.
            (2) Contents.--The study shall--
                    (A) examine and compare the state of research, 
                technology development, and emerging practices in other 
                developed and developing countries with those in the 
                United States;
                    (B) identify and evaluate relevant system 
                approaches for comprehensive water management, 
                including the interrelationship of water systems with 
                other major systems such as energy and transportation;
                    (C) identify priority research and development 
                needs; and
                    (D) assess implementation needs and barriers.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 
shall transmit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of 
the Senate a report on the key findings of the study conducted under 
subsection (a). The report shall evaluate challenges and opportunities 
and serve as a practical reference for water managers, planners, 
developers, scientists, engineers, non-governmental organizations, 
federal agencies, and regulators by recommending innovative and 
integrated solutions.
    (c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) the term ``low impact'' means a strategy that manages 
        rainfall at the source using uniformly distributed 
        decentralized micro-scale controls to mimic a site's 
        predevelopment hydrology by using design techniques that 
        infiltrate, filter, store, evaporate, and detain runoff close 
        to its source; and
            (2) the term ``soft path'' means a general framework that 
        encompasses--
                    (A) increased efficiency of water use;
                    (B) integration of water supply, wastewater 
                treatment, and stormwater management systems; and
                    (C) protection, restoration, and effective use of 
                the natural capacities of ecosystems to provide clean 
                water.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency for carrying out this section $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2009.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Assistant 
Administrator for carrying out this Act $20,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2009 through 2013.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 30, 2008.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.