U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) reintroduced legislation on Wednesday that would advance water resources infrastructure projects and water reclamation at the local and state levels.
The New Water Available To Every Reclamation State (New WATER) Act, H.R. 434, would establish a pilot program that seeks to promote private investment in water systems through low-interest, government-backed loans with lengthy repayment periods.
“Our area has been blessed to receive a lot of rain lately, but our lack of available infrastructure to store all of this water means that too much of it will be wasted,” Denham said. “The New WATER Act would bring together public funding with private sector investment to improve water storage and delivery for the Central Valley.”
Under H.R. 434, projects would have to be capable of generating revenue streams through user fees or other dedicated channels in order to be approved.
The legislation defines qualifying projects as those that contribute to a safe, adequate water supply; increase energy efficiency of existing water systems; speed up the repair or replacement of older systems; develop desalination facilities; or use real property for water storage.
In addition to introducing H.R. 434 on Wednesday, Denham also joined lawmakers in writing a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service requesting that pumping rates be increased over the next several days to capture additional storm water runoff.