[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6852-S6854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Boxer):
  S. 1475. A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater 
Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Bay Area Regional Water 
Recycling Program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, together with my good friend and 
colleague, Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Committee on the 
Environment and Public Works, I am pleased to introduce today 
legislation to help the San Francisco bay area a region with a growing 
population, limited

[[Page S6853]]

water resources, and a unique environmental setting, address its 
critical water needs.
  The bill, the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Authorization 
Act of 2007, would help seven bay area communities increase their 
municipal water supplies through innovative and much-needed water 
recycling projects.
  These projects offer significant benefits. For California and the 
Federal Government such benefits include: the preservation of State and 
Federal reservoir supplies for higher uses rather than for urban 
landscape irrigation, particularly in drought years; and, a cost 
effective, environmentally friendly, implementable solution for 
increased dry year yield in the sensitive bay-delta region. Regional 
and local benefits include: the preservation of ever declining water 
supplies from the Sierra and delta for higher uses; assistance in 
drought-proofing the region through provision of a sustainable and 
reliable source of water; and reduction in wastewater discharges to the 
sensitive bay-delta environment.
  The Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program is a partnership 
between 17 local bay area water and wastewater agencies, the California 
Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that 
is dedicated to maximizing water recycling throughout the region. The 
regional approach taken by the bay area project sponsors ensures that 
projects with the greatest regional, statewide, and national benefits 
receive the highest priority for implementation.
  This bill would authorize the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to 
participate in seven bay area water recycling program projects that are 
closest to completion. Each community with a project would be eligible 
to receive 25 percent of the project's construction cost. The total 
cost of the seven projects is $110 million, but the Federal 
Government's share is only $27.5 million. State funding is available 
for these projects.
  For the most part, the projects are ready to proceed and start 
delivering their benefits the projects having been repeatedly vetted, 
both internally at the local level and through the various steps of the 
Federal review process but Federal funding is needed to make 
implementation a reality and to allow the many benefits of these 
projects to be realized.

  Specifically, the bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior 
to participate in the following bay area water reuse projects: Antioch 
Recycled Water project--Delta Diablo Sanitation District, city of 
Antioch; North Coast County Water District Recycled Water project--
North Coast County Water District; Mountain View/Moffett Area Water 
Reuse Project--city of Palo Alto, city of Mountain View: Pittsburg 
Recycled Water Project-Delta Diablo Sanitation District, city of 
Pittsburg; Redwood City Recycled Water project--city of Redwood; South 
Santa Clara County Recycled Water Project-Santa Clara Valley Water 
District, South County Regional Wastewater Authority; and, South Bay 
Advanced Recycled Water Treatment Facility--Santa Clara Valley Water 
District, city of San Jose.
  These seven projects are estimated to make 12,205 acre-feet of water 
available annually in the short term, and 37,600 acre-feet annually in 
the long term, all while reducing demand on the delta and on existing 
water infrastructure.
  Congressman George Miller introduced a companion bill, H.R.1526, in 
the House on March 14, 2007. The bill was cosponsored by other bay area 
lawmakers, including Representatives Anna Eshoo, Ellen Tauscher, Jerry 
McNerney, Tom Lantos, Mike Honda; Zoe Lofgren, and Pete Stark.
  Water recycling offers great potential to States like California that 
suffer periodic droughts and have limited fresh water supplies. To 
address these issues, the bill would establish a partnership between 
the Federal Government and local communities to implement a regional 
water recycling program in the bay area. I urge my colleagues to join 
in support of this legislation.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1475

         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 ``Bay Area Regional Water 
     Recycling Program Authorization Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. PROJECT AUTHORIZATIONS.

         (a) In General.--The Reclamation Wastewater and 
     Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (Public Law 102-575, 
     title XVI; 43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following:

     ``SEC. 16XX. MOUNTAIN VIEW, MOFFETT AREA RECLAIMED WATER 
                   PIPELINE PROJECT.

         ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the City of Palo Alto, California, and the City of Mountain 
     View, California, is authorized to participate in the design, 
     planning, and construction of recycled water distribution 
     systems.
         ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project authorized by this section shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
         ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project authorized 
     by this section.
         ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $5,000,000.

     ``SEC. 16XX. PITTSBURG RECYCLED WATER PROJECT.

         ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the City of Pittsburg, California, and the Delta Diablo 
     Sanitation District, is authorized to participate in the 
     design, planning, and construction of recycled water system 
     facilities.
         ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project authorized by this section shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
         ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project authorized 
     by this section.
         ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $1,400,000.

     ``SEC. 16XX. ANTIOCH RECYCLED WATER PROJECT.

         ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the City of Antioch, California, and the Delta Diablo 
     Sanitation District, is authorized to participate in the 
     design, planning, and construction of recycled water system 
     facilities.
         ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project authorized by this section shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
         ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project authorized 
     by this section.
         ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $2,250,000.

     ``SEC. 16XX. NORTH COAST COUNTY WATER DISTRICT RECYCLED WATER 
                   PROJECT.

         ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the North Coast County Water District, is authorized to 
     participate in the design, planning, and construction of 
     recycled water system facilities.
         ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project authorized by this section shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
         ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project authorized 
     by this section.
         ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $2,500,000.

     ``SEC. 16XX. REDWOOD CITY RECYCLED WATER PROJECT.

         ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the City of Redwood City, California, is authorized to 
     participate in the design, planning, and construction of 
     recycled water system facilities.
         ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project authorized by this section shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
         ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project authorized 
     by this section.
         ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $1,100,000.

     ``SEC. 16XX. SOUTH SANTA CLARA COUNTY RECYCLED WATER PROJECT.

         ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the South County Regional Wastewater Authority and the Santa 
     Clara Valley Water District, is authorized to participate in 
     the design, planning, and construction of recycled water 
     system distribution facilities.
         ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project authorized by this section shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
         ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project authorized 
     by this section.
         ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $7,000,000.

     ``SEC. 16XX. SOUTH BAY ADVANCED RECYCLED WATER TREATMENT 
                   FACILITY.

         ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
     the City of San Jose, California, and the Santa Clara Valley 
     Water

[[Page S6854]]

     District, is authorized to participate in the design, 
     planning, and construction of recycled water treatment 
     facilities.
         ``(b) Cost Share.--The Federal share of the cost of the 
     project authorized by this section shall not exceed 25 
     percent of the total cost of the project.
         ``(c) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not provide funds 
     for the operation and maintenance of the project authorized 
     by this section.
         ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
     $8,250,000.''.
         (b) Conforming Amendments.--The table of items in section 
     2 of Public Law 102-575 is amended by inserting after the 
     item relating to section 16xx the following:
``Sec. 16xx. Mountain View, Moffett Area Reclaimed Water Pipeline 
              Project.
``Sec. 16xx. Pittsburg Recycled Water Project.
``Sec. 16xx. Antioch Recycled Water Project.
``Sec. 16xx. North Coast County Water District Recycled Water Project.
``Sec. 16xx. Redwood City Recycled Water Project.
``Sec. 16xx. South Santa Clara County Recycled Water Project.
``Sec. 16xx. South Bay Advanced Recycled Water Treatment Facility.''.

     SEC. 3. SAN JOSE AREA WATER RECLAMATION AND REUSE PROJECT.

         It is the intent of Congress that a comprehensive water 
     recycling program for the San Francisco Bay Area include the 
     San Jose Area water reclamation and reuse program authorized 
     by section 1607 of the Reclamation Projects Authorization and 
     Adjustment Act of 1992 (43 U.S.C 390h-5).
                                 ______