[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21634]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL WATER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

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                            HON. BART GORDON

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2008

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing a bill 
to establish ``The National Water Research and Development 
Initiative,'' to coordinate national efforts on water research and 
technology development and to provide a clear path forward to ensure 
adequate water supplies for generations to come.
  Water is essential to everything we do, and there is no substitute 
for it. Many Americans are unaware how stressed our water supplies have 
become. This situation will continue to be exacerbated by increases in 
population and energy demand and shifting weather patterns caused by 
climate change. In order to meet the water demands of the future, it is 
essential that we have the tools needed to utilize water resources 
efficiently and to maintain the quality of our water supplies. Sound 
water management is essential if we are to meet the water needs of 
municipalities, industry, agriculture, recreation, and power.
  At the turn of the 19th century, U.S. population stood at a little 
more than 5 million citizens. Our population is now over 300 million 
with an annual growth rate of one percent. Available surface water 
supplies have not increased in the United States since the 1990s, and 
groundwater tables are continuing to decline. It is clear that the U.S. 
water supply cannot support future populations and economic activity at 
its current rate of consumption.
  In the United States, over 50,000 water utilities withdraw 
approximately 40 billion gallons per day of water from the nation's 
resources, to supply water for domestic consumption, industry, and 
other uses When severe water shortages occur, the economic effect can 
be substantial. According to a 2000 report from the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, eight water shortages from drought or 
heat waves each resulted in $1 billion or more in monetary losses over 
the past 20 years.
  An adequate supply of treated water is integral to many industries, 
including agriculture and food processing, beverages, power generation, 
paper production, manufacturing, and mineral extraction, Water 
shortages can negatively affect companies and entire industries and 
reduce job creation and retention. Current industry trajectories, 
population growth, and dwindling water supplies all point to increased 
water shortages. Increased water demand will come with increased costs 
to all businesses, industries, and municipalities which rely on the 
same water resources. The Association of California Water Agencies 
reported in April 2008 that California is now losing income and jobs 
due to the state's water supply crisis.
  A new commitment is necessary to ensure that the United States can 
meet the water challenges over the next twenty years and onward. The 
House Science and Technology Committee has begun to search out ways for 
the federal government to spur new technological innovations that will 
improve our water-use efficiency. We are doing our part to highlight 
this important issue and to develop legislation that will address 
technological and strategic deficiencies at the federal level.
  If we are to avoid water crises in the future, we need an effective 
research and development effort that provides tools and information to 
manage our water resources effectively. Coordination of the twenty 
federal agencies responsible for water programs is a logical place to 
start. The 2004 National Academies Report on Federal Water Research 
indicated that the United States is not getting its money's worth on 
water resources research because of a lack of coordination.
  The legislation I am introducing today builds on the Administration's 
effort to coordinate federal research on water resources by 
establishing an interagency committee--the Subcommittee on Water 
Availability and Quality (SWAQ) of the National Science and Technology 
Council. The bill codifies this subcommittee and provides it explicit 
Congressional authorization.
  The bill also incorporates recommendations from the 2004 report by 
the National Academies entitled, Confronting the Nation's Water 
Problems: The Role of Federal Research to strengthen the subcommittee's 
role in setting priorities and developing an integrated budget to 
support research on water resources. The Academy's report indicated 
that SWAQ is an effective forum for agencies to share information about 
their efforts on water. However, the report identified several issues 
that needed to be addressed to make SWAQ an effective coordinating 
body.
  This bill strengthens the budget function for SWAQ through 
participation of OMB on the subcommittee. In addition, SWAQ is directed 
to engage in outreach activities to develop connections to state and 
local governments, to a wider community of stakeholders, and to the 
public. These recommendations, and others, helped to form the basis of 
the initiative.
  In order to better manage water supplies, there is a critical need 
for reliable, contemporary information about our water resources and 
how supplies vary over time. Currently, quantitative knowledge of water 
supply is inadequate in the United States. The U.S. Water Resources 
Council completed the most recent, comprehensive, national water 
availability and use assessment in 1978. This legislation directs the 
subcommittee to mobilize federal resources to undertake a new national 
water census.
  I offer this legislation to improve and coordinate federal research 
and development efforts on water. It is critical that we actively 
pursue technological innovations to ensure future water supplies.

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