Office of Water Supply, Water Conservation, and Drought Resiliency

(a)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army (referred to in this section as the Secretary) shall establish within the Directorate of Civil Works an office to be known as the Office of Water Supply, Water Conservation, and Drought Resiliency.(b)

Administration

In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall—(1)designate a Water Supply, Water Conservation, and Drought Resiliency Program Manager, who shall head the office established under that subsection and report directly to the Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations;(2)staff the office with personnel who may reside in any district or division of the Corps of Engineers; and(3)provide the office with sufficient administrative, technical, and budgetary support to direct, perform, and coordinate the tasks described in subsection (c).(c)

Tasks

The office established under subsection (a) shall carry out the following tasks related to the water supply mission of the Corps of Engineers:(1)Identify and evaluate opportunities using authorities of the Corps of Engineers to promote water supply, water conservation, and drought resiliency at water resource development projects.(2)Provide to the Corps of Engineers, States, and non-Federal interests information on existing policies and guidance documents of the Corps of Engineers related to, and make recommendations on new policies and guidance documents to improve, water supply, water conservation, and drought resiliency, including—(A)the implementation of subtitle B of title I of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (138 Stat. 3046);(B)the method for the accounting of storage use under water supply storage agreements at Corps of Engineers reservoirs;(C)the reallocation of storage space at Corps of Engineers reservoirs to water supply;(D)the interpretation and implementation of section 301 of the Water Supply Act of 1958 (43 U.S.C. 390b); and(E)the interpretation and implementation of section 6 of the Act of December 22, 1944 (commonly known as the Flood Control Act of 1944) (58 Stat. 890, chapter 665; 33 U.S.C. 708).(3)Assist and provide guidance to States and non-Federal interests on accessing programs, services, and other technical and financial assistance made available by the Corps of Engineers for water supply, water conservation, and drought resiliency efforts related to water resources development projects.(4)Coordinate the review and completion of water supply reallocation studies and reports to clear backlogs and ensure new studies and reports are completed in a timely manner.(5)Act as a liaison between the Corps of Engineers and non-Federal interests for studies, projects, and agreements for water supply, water conservation, and drought resiliency efforts related to water resources development projects, including efforts—(A)to reallocate storage space in projects to store water for municipal and industrial water supply purposes pursuant to section 301 of the Water Supply Act of 1958 (43 U.S.C. 390b);(B)to enter into surplus water contracts pursuant to section 6 of the Act of December 22, 1944 (commonly known as the Flood Control Act of 1944) (58 Stat. 890, chapter 665; 33 U.S.C. 708); and(C)modify the operation of projects under other authorities to produce water supply benefits incidental to and consistent with authorized purposes, including by—(i)adjusting the timing of releases for other authorized purposes to create opportunities for water supply conservation, use, and storage;(ii)capturing stormwater;(iii)releasing water from storage to replenish aquifer storage and recovery;(iv)releasing water from storage to augment storage at another Federal or non-Federal storage facility; and(v)other conservation measures that enhance the use of a Corps of Engineers project for water supply.(6)Conduct outreach and workshops for potential non-Federal interests to provide information on the authorities described in paragraph (1).(7)Evaluate budget requests to ensure sufficient resources are requested and allocated by the Directorate of Civil Works to fulfill the tasks described in this subsection.(8)Cooperate with State, regional, and local government and planning authorities to identify strategies to augment water supplies, enhance drought resiliency, promote contingency planning, and assist in the planning and development of alternative water sources.(9)Other tasks in furtherance of the water supply mission, as determined by the Secretary.(d)

Report required

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that describes—(1)the progress of the Secretary in establishing the Office of Water Supply, Water Conservation, and Drought Resiliency, including a description of the status of implementing subsection (b)(3);(2)the number of staff assigned to the office; and(3)for each water supply study or project being conducted or implemented by the Corps of Engineers as of the date on which the report is submitted—(A)the status of the study or project;(B)the date on which the study or project commenced;(C)the estimated date of completion of the study or project; and(D)any significant impediments or obstacles that may reasonably affect the timeline to complete the study or project.