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Managing America: Environment & Resources

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Week Ending August 1, 2008

H.R.3957 To increase research, development, education, and technology transfer activities related to water use efficiency and conservation technologies and practices at the Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA is directed to establish a program to promote water use efficiency and conservation to include technologies and processes that enable the collection, treatment and reuse of rainwater and graywater. Also include is water storage and distribution systems and behavioral, social, ad economic barriers to achieving greater water use efficiency.

The planning and implementation of the program shall include consideration of research needs identified by water resource managers, State and local governments and other interested parties, and technologies and process likely to achieve the greatest increases in water use efficiency.

Also in the bill the EPA must facilitate the adoption of technology and processes to increase water use, efficiency and conservation and incentives and impediments to development and commercialization of those technologies. A report is due on anticipated increases in water use efficiency resulting and another is due in 18 months on the research projects initiated and the outreach and communications activities conducted by the Agency.

Sponsor:  Rep. Jim Matheson (UT-2^nd)

Vote: Passed House by voice vote July 30, 2008

Cost to the taxpayers: Authorized are such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2009 through 2013. “CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3957 would cost $86 million over the 2009-2013 period and $15 million after 2013.”

Earmark Certification:  

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MORE INFORMATION

Congress finds the following:

(1) Between 1950 and 2000, the United States population increased nearly 90 percent. In that same period, public demand for water increased 209 percent. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water per person each day. This increased demand has put additional stress on water supplies and distribution systems, threatening both human health and the environment.

(2) Thirty six States are anticipating local, regional, or statewide water shortages by 2013. In addition, climate change related effects are expected to exacerbate already scarce water resources in many areas of the country.

(3) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 assessment states that water stored in glaciers and snow cover is projected to decline, reducing water availability to one-sixth of the world's population that relies upon meltwater from major mountain ranges. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also predicts droughts will become more severe and longer lasting in a number of regions.

(4) Water conservation should be a national goal and the Environmental Protection Agency should work with nongovernmental partners to achieve that goal. The Environmental Protection Agency should support the research, development, and dissemination of technologies and processes that will achieve greater water use efficiency.

(5) WaterSense is a voluntary public-private partnership program established by the Environmental Protection Agency to promote water efficiency by helping consumers identify water-efficient products and practices. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that if all United States households installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than 3,000,000,000,000 gallons of water and more than $17,000,000,000 per year.

(6) The WaterSense program has developed a network of partners, and therefore can disseminate the results of research on technologies and processes that achieve greater water use efficiency.

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