Press Releases :: July 23, 2008

Subcommittee Reviews Draft Legislation on Water Initiative

(Washington, DC) – Today, the House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Energy and Environment held a hearing to learn about opportunities for the federal government to support and better coordinate research and technological innovation to enhance water supplies and water quality and to support improved water management.

“In order to meet the water demands of the future, it is essential that we have the information we need to balance the water needs for municipalities, industry, agriculture, recreation, and power,” said Subcommittee Chairman Nick Lampson (D-TX).

The Committee also received testimony on a discussion draft legislation to be introduced by Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) entitled, The National Water Research and Development Initiative Act.

The draft legislation will improve the federal government’s role in designing and implementing federal water research, development, demonstration, education, and technology transfer activities to address changes in water use, supply, and demand in the United States, including providing additional support to increase water supply through greater efficiency and conservation.

“Water is essential to everything we do and there is no substitute for it,” said Gordon. “If we are to resolve these problems, we need an effective research and development effort that provides tools and information to manage our water resources effectively.  Coordination of the programs managed across 20 federal agencies is a logical place to start.” 

The Full Committee recently passed H.R. 3957, the Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act, which institutes an R&D program to promote the efficiency and conservation of water within the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development, and H.R. 2339, the Produced Water Utilization Act of 2007, which establishes a program to research, develop, and demonstrate the beneficial reuse of water produced in connection to oil and gas extraction. 

Please visit the Committee’s website for more information.  

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