Accelerate Investments in Recycled Water – There’s No Time to Waste
A U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee turned its focus to water recycling projects this week with a hearing on nine bills aimed at securing federal engagement in 14 local water recycling projects, including 10 in California.
I had the opportunity to testify in favor of the bills and remind those in attendance that California is in a deepening water crisis and has an urgent need for recycled water projects and other local resource development strategies. I reminded them of the words of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar when he remarked, during an interview with the Los Angeles Times editorial board in March, that the economy “is going to hell in a hand basket in California unless something happens that is credible with respect to the water supply issues.”
The water recycling projects outlined in bills before the subcommittee are an important part of the comprehensive solution ACWA and its members are seeking. If fully appropriated, the projects would provide a vital new source of water and leverage $371.1 million in local funding. To the extent these projects can be accelerated, the recycled water they would generate would help combat the immediate crisis arising from drought and increasingly stringent restrictions on water deliveries under the Endangered Species Act.
Though the hearing was an encouraging sign that Congress recognizes the urgency of the crisis, the proof will lie in whether federal support for these worthy projects can be secured. The Bureau of Reclamation reports that is has a $620 million backlog in local water recycling projects, which means many projects face delays given the current pace of funding.
As I relayed to the subcommittee, we don’t have a lot of time to wait for solutions. We need to accelerate the investment in local reuse – not slow it down.
In a separate but related note, the importance of water recycling is highlighted in the latest issue of “Water for Tomorrow” magazine, published by ACWA in partnership with National Geographic Custom Publishing. The magazine, which is being distributed to consumers around the state this week, shines the spotlight on innovative programs and efforts around the state to stretch every drop and improve long-term supply reliability.
