[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 50 (Tuesday, May 2, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H1939-H1940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CENTRAL TEXAS WATER RECYCLING ACT OF 2006

  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3418) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to 
participate in the Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project, and 
for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3418

       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 ``Central Texas Water 
     Recycling Act of 2006''.

     SEC. 2. PROJECT AUTHORIZATION.

       (a) In General.--The Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
     Study and Facilities Act (Public Law 102-575; 43 U.S.C. 390h 
     et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 16__ the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 16__. CENTRAL TEXAS WATER RECYCLING AND REUSE PROJECT.

       ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the City of Waco and other participating communities in the 
     Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project is authorized 
     to participate in the design, planning, and construction of 
     permanent facilities to reclaim and reuse water in McLennan 
     County, Texas.
       ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the costs of the 
     project described in subsection (a) shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost.
       ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project described in 
     subsection (a).
       ``(d) Sunset of Authority.--The authority of the Secretary 
     to carry out any provisions of this section shall terminate 
     10 years after the date of enactment of this section.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections in section 2 
     of Public Law 102-575 is amended by inserting after the item 
     relating to section 16__ the following:

``Sec. 16__. Central Texas Water Recycling and Reuse Project.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Pearce) and the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Mexico?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3418, introduced by Congressman Chet Edwards, 
authorizes Federal participation in a water reuse project in McLennan 
County, Texas. As central Texas cities experience rapid population 
growth and increased water demand, these communities are being 
proactive to better utilize their existing water supplies.
  This legislation is part of the effort to create new water supplies. 
I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. Speaker, we support passage of H.R. 3418. We commend Congressman 
Chet Edwards for his persistence and hard work to secure authorization 
for this important project. The city of Waco is keenly aware that 
additional sources of water will be required to meet future water 
demands.
  The city has decided to meet the expected water supply shortfall in 
part by implementing aggressive water conservation and water recycling 
and reclamation programs. The water recycling project identified in 
this bill will be eligible for limited financial assistance under the 
Bureau of Reclamation's title XVI water recycling program.

[[Page H1940]]

  Water recycling and desalinization projects are proven technologies 
that can help stretch limited water supplies in areas such as Texas and 
the West.
  I want to express our full support for this legislation. I offer my 
congratulations to Congressman Edwards for his leadership.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
hardworking Member from Texas (Mr. Edwards), who works tirelessly for 
his district.
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, let me thank Mr. Udall for his kind 
comments, and both Mr. Udall and Mr. Pearce for their excellent floor 
management of all of these bills today.
  Mr. Speaker, our communities and Nation have a responsibility to be 
good stewards of our water resources. That is why I introduced H.R. 
3418, the Central Texas Water Recycling Act of 2006. This bill will 
authorize Federal matching funds, 25 percent Federal, 75 percent local, 
to help build an innovative water recycling program partnership in my 
home town of Waco, Texas, and several neighboring communities in 
McClennan County.
  Instead of wasting valuable drinking water for use in factories and 
on golf courses, we will be able to use lower-cost recycled wastewater 
for those purposes and save enough drinking water for 20,000 family 
households in McClennan County. The bottom line is this: being good 
stewards of our water supply, we will reduce water costs for 
businesses, save central Texas taxpayers millions of dollars, encourage 
economic growth in our area, and improve water quality in our central 
Texas rivers.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Pombo and ranking member Rahall 
for their support of this measure, and the subcommittee chairman, Mr. 
Radanovich, the ranking subcommittee member, Mrs. Napolitano, for their 
key role in this bill's passage. This is the kind of bipartisan effort 
that shows what Congress can accomplish when we work together on a 
bipartisan basis.
  I also want to thank the mayor, city council, and staff in the cities 
of Waco, Lorena, Robinson, Hewitt, Woodway, Bellmead and Lacy-Lakeview 
for their cooperative efforts that made this bill's passage possible.
  Finally, I want to extend special credit to the city of Waco, my 
hometown, to its city manager, Larry Groth, for his extraordinary 
leadership on this bill. Without his leadership, hard work and 
professionalism, we would not be here today. And as a citizen of Waco, 
I am grateful for his outstanding service to my hometown.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge bipartisan passage of H.R. 3418.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I say thank you to my colleagues, Mr. 
Edwards and Mr. Udall, for their work on this bill and yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3418, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________