[Senate Report 110-310]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 662
110th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 110-310
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EASTERN MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT RECYCLED WATER SYSTEM PRESSURIZATION
AND EXPANSION PROJECT
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April 10, 2008.--Ordered to be printed
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Mr. Bingaman, from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 30]
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was
referred the Act (H.R. 30) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater
and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the
Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Eastern
Municipal Water District Recycled Water System Pressurization
and Expansion Project, having considered the same, reports
favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the Act
do pass.
Purpose of the Measure
The purpose of H.R. 30 is to amend the Reclamation
Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the
Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water System
Pressurization and Expansion Project.
Background and Need
Located in arid southern California, the Eastern Municipal
Water District (EMWD) provides water service to a rapidly
growing population of more than 500,000 including the cities of
Moreno Valley, Perris, San Jacinto, Hemet, Murrieta, and
Temecula, and unincorporated areas of southwest Riverside
County.
Like many water districts in the region, EMWD relies
heavily on imported water from the Sacramento/San Joaquin Bay-
Delta and the Colorado River. In light of growing demand, EMWD
has invested in developing and managing local water resources,
including groundwater recharge, brackish groundwater
desalination, and water recycling.
Currently, EMWD uses over 100 miles of pipeline to deliver
24,000 acre feet of recycled water per year. While nearly
seventy percent of the recycled water goes to agricultural
customers, municipal and industrial demands for this supply are
rapidly increasing. As this transition from agricultural use to
urban use progresses, water recycling system infrastructure
investments in operational storage, flow-control, and pressure
zones are needed. H.R. 30 would provide limited funding to
assist EMWD in upgrading and expanding its water recycling
system.
Legislative History
H.R. 30 was introduced in the House of Representatives by
Rep. Issa (CA) on January 4, 2007, and referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources. Under suspension of the rules,
H.R. 30 passed the House of Representatives on May 7, 2007. The
bill was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources. The Subcommittee on Water and
Power held a hearing on H.R. 30 on August 1, 2007. At its
business meeting on January 30, 2008, the Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 30 to be favorably
reported.
Committee Recommendation
The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open
business session on January 30, 2008, by voice vote of a quorum
present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 30.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1 provides the short title of the Act.
Section 2 amends the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater
Study and Facilities Act by adding a new section authorizing
the Secretary of the Interior to participate in a recycling
water project with the Eastern Municipal Water District in
California, with a 25 percent federal cost-share, in an amount
not to exceed $12 million.
Cost and Budgetary Considerations
The following estimate of costs of this measure has been
provided by the Congressional Budget Office:
H.R. 30--Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water System
Pressurization and Expansion Project
Summary: H.R. 30 would authorize the Secretary of the
Interior to help design, plan, and construct facilities to
recycle water in the Eastern Municipal Water District of
California.
CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 30 would cost $12
million over the 2008-2013 period, assuming appropriation of
the necessary amounts. Enacting the legislation would not
affect direct spending or revenues.
H.R. 30 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated
budgetary impact of H.R. 30 is shown in the following table.
The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 300
(natural resources and environment).
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By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
-----------------------------------------------
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
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CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION
Estimated Authorization Level................................... 1 5 4 2 0 0
Estimated Outlays............................................... 1 4 5 2 0 0
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Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that
necessary amounts will be appropriated during fiscal year 2008
and near the start of subsequent fiscal years. Estimates of
outlays are based on historical spending patterns for similar
activities.
H.R. 30 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior, in
cooperation with the Eastern Municipal Water District of
California, to help design, plan, and construct facilities
needed to establish pressure zones that would be used to
provide recycled water to the district. Based on information
from the Bureau of Reclamation, CBO estimates that the total
cost of the project would be $48 million.
Under the legislation, the federal share of the project
would be 25 percent, and federal funds would not be available
for operation and maintenance. The authority of the Secretary
to carry out the projects would sunset 10 years after the date
of the enactment of the act.
Assuming appropriation of the amounts necessary to proceed
with the project, CBO estimates that implementing the
legislation would cost $12 million over the 2008-2013 period.
Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 30
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or
tribal governments. Funds authorized in the act to design,
plan, and construct a system for recycling water would benefit
the Eastern Municipal Water District in southern California.
Any costs the district might incur would result from complying
with conditions for receiving federal assistance.
Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Tyler Kruzich; Impact
on State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Melissa Merrell;
Impact on the Private-Sector: Amy Petz.
Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Regulatory Impact Evaluation
In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following
evaluation of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in
carrying out H.R. 30. The bill is not a regulatory measure in
the sense of imposing Government-established standards or
significant economic responsibilities on private individuals
and businesses.
No personal information would be collected in
administering the program. Therefore, there would be no impact
on personal privacy.
Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the
enactment of H.R. 30, as ordered reported.
Executive Communications
The testimony provided by the Bureau of Reclamation at the
subcommittee hearing on August 1, 2007 on H.R. 30 follows:
Statement of Larry Todd, Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation,
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, I am Larry
Todd, Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Administration and Budget
with the Bureau of Reclamation. I am pleased to be here today
to give the Department's views on H.R. 30, the Eastern
Municipal Water District Recycled Water System Pressurization
and Expansion Project Act. The Department cannot support H.R.
30.
In 1992, Congress adopted, and the President signed, the
Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act (Public
Law 102-575). Title XVI of this Act, the Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act, authorized the Secretary
to participate in the planning, design and construction of five
water reclamation and reuse projects. The Bureau of Reclamation
has been administering a grant program to fund these Title XVI
projects since 1994, and the Act has been amended to authorize
a total of 32 projects.
H.R. 30 would amend the Reclamation Wastewater and
Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (43 U.S.C. 390h et seq.),
to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in
the design, planning, and construction of improvements to the
Eastern Municipal Water District's reclaimed water distribution
system in Riverside County, California. It provides for Federal
funding of 25 percent of the total project cost or $12 million,
whichever is less.
Eastern's five water reclamation plants currently produce
about 52,000 acre-feet per year. The reclaimed water is
distributed by a gravity flow system primarily serving
agricultural users. This project would create a pressurized
distribution system suitable for municipal users, including at
least four reservoir tanks of about 4 million gallons capacity
each, with associated pipelines and pumping stations. The
distribution system may also be expanded eastward to serve
existing citrus groves. Project benefits include local drought
protection and reduced dependence on imported water.
Mr. Chairman, the Department supports efforts to increase
local water supplies and increase recycled water use in
southern California. However, given the costs of the currently
active Title XVI projects, we cannot support the authorization
of new projects at this time. Of the 32 specific Title XVI
projects authorized to date, 21 have received funding. The
remaining estimated total authorized Federal cost share of
these 21 active Title XVI projects is at least $328 million.
Additionally, Reclamation is currently working with the
District to review the technical work completed to date and to
identify the additional work necessary to prepare a complete
feasibility report meeting the feasibility requirements of
Title XVI projects. However, because the technical studies are
not complete, the feasibility and cost effectiveness of this
project cannot be determined, as required by Title XVI.
While Reclamation does not support new authorizations for
Federal cost sharing of water recycling projects, we understand
that the projects established by Title XVI are important to
many water users in the West. To that end, Reclamation has set
about revising and improving its Directives and Standards that
govern reviews of Title XVI projects. By doing so, we believe
that Reclamation can play a more constructive role with local
sponsors in weighing the merits and ultimate feasibility of
proposed water recycling projects.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my testimony. Thank you for
the opportunity to comment on H.R. 30. I would be happy to
answer any questions at this time.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by
the bill H.R. 30, as ordered reported, are shown as follows
(existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black
brackets, new matter is printed in italic, existing law in
which no change is proposed is shown in roman):
RECLAMATION PROJECTS AUTHORIZATION AND ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 1992
PUBLIC LAW 102-575, Title XVI, Section 16XX (106 Stat. 4663)
AN ACT To authorize additional appropriations for the construction of
the Buffalo Bill Dam and Reservoir, Shoshone Project, Pick-Sloan
Missouri Basin Program, Wyoming
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of
Representatives of The United States of America in Congress
assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reclamation Projects
Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992''.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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TITLE XVI--RECLAMATION WASTEWATER AND GROUND WATER STUDIES
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Sec. 16xx. Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water System
Pressurization and Expansion Project, Califorinia
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TITLE XVI--RECLAMATION WASTEWATER AND GROUNDWATER STUDIES
SEC. 1601. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be referred to as the ``Reclamation
Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act''.
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SEC. 16XX. EASTERN MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT RECYCLED WATER SYSTEM
PRESSURIZATION AND EXPANSION PROJECT, CALIFORNIA
(a) Authorization.--The Secretary, in cooperation with the
Eastern Municipal Water District, California, may participate
in the design, planning, and construction of permanent
facilities needed to establish operational pressure zones that
will be used to provide recycled water in the district.
(b) Cost Sharing.--The Federal share of the cost of the
project described in subsection (a) shall not exceed 25 percent
of the total cost of the project.
(c) Limitation.--Funds provided by the Secretary shall not
be used for operation or maintenance of the project described
in subsection (a).
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to carry out this section $12,000,000.
(e) 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.
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