[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 95 (Thursday, July 16, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S8383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID:
  S. 2321. A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the design, planning, and construction of the Truckee 
Watershed Reclamation Project for the reclamation and reuse of water; 
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


        truckee river watershed reclamation project legislation

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I introduce today a bill to authorize the 
Truckee River Watershed Reclamation Project. The water in Nevada is a 
precious resource that should not be wasted and we need to reuse what 
we can of this commodity. The Title XVI program in the Bureau of 
Reclamation is aimed at reclaiming the water for use within the 
community. The projects that are within this watershed project will in 
fact be utilized in multiple municipal functions throughout the Truckee 
River Basin communities.
  Specifically, the North Valleys Reuse Project would be to reclaim the 
wastewater from Reno and Sparks and convey that water to subdivisions 
extending to the north of Reno for irrigation purposes so that the 
groundwater can be preserved for domestic and other potable uses. Once 
the new effluent reuse system is operational, groundwater currently 
used for irrigation can then be a reliable source in a region with 
limited resources. Additionally, the Spanish Springs Valley Reuse 
Project would use treated wastewater with excessive total dissolved 
solids to be channeled for irrigation and environmental watering. The 
treated wastewater would be returned to the valley where numerous 
parks, golf courses, pastures could be irrigated with effluent reducing 
the quantity of groundwater pumped and improving the quality of the 
aquifer. Another aspect of this reclamation effort is the protection of 
the scarce resource during emergency conditions, increases the 
reliability of domestic water supply in the event of a toxic spill into 
the Truckee River through a series of optional programs in cooperation 
with the regional and community resource planners. When this project is 
authorized and appropriated for the counties can begin their 
feasibility studies of their projects and programs within its Regional 
Water Management Plan.
  Mr. President, as the ranking member on the Energy and Water 
Development Appropriations, I have the opportunity to examine closely 
the Bureau of Reclamation's programs and I appreciate the assistance 
the Bureau gives to communities throughout the arid west. The first 
project initiated by the Bureau of Reclamation was in Nevada called the 
Newlands Project and Nevada communities have benefited from the Federal 
assistance in water management. Now, the Bureau of Reclamation Title 
XVI program can be of immeasurable value to the communities in the 
Truckee River Watershed to preserve and reclaim some of this precious 
resource.
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