National Water Research and Development Initiative Act
On April 23rd, the House passed the National Water Research and Development Initiative Act, H.R. 1145. This bill coordinates national research and development efforts on water and provides a clear path forward to ensure adequate water supplies for generations to come. It will ensure that we have an effective national water strategy that uses federal research and development dollars efficiently and eliminates redundant programs.
Adequate water supplies are crucial. Multi-year droughts continue to plague regions and states around the country, including the Southeast, Texas, and California. Furthermore, a total of thirty-six states expect to experience significant water shortages by 2013.
Creating an effective national water strategy is a critical economic issue. Water supply problems have substantial economic impacts, resulting in potential job losses and increased costs to businesses and families. According to a 2000 NOAA report, each of the eight water shortages over the past 20 years from drought and heat waves resulted in $1 billion or more in monetary losses. In addition, the Association of California Water Agencies reported in April 2008 that California is now losing income and jobs due to the state’s water supply crisis.
Many Americans are unaware how stressed our water supplies have become. This situation will continue to be exacerbated by increases in population and energy demand and shifting weather patterns caused by climate change.
Currently, over 20 federal agencies carry out research and development on some aspect of water supply, water quality or water management. Despite spending millions of dollars on research at each of these agencies, an increase in the number of water shortages and emerging conflicts over water supplies suggest that we are still inadequately prepared to address the nation’s water management issues.
The bill requires the President to establish or designate an interagency committee with representation from all federal agencies dealing with water to implement a National Water Research and Development Initiative to improve federal activities on water, including research, development, demonstration, data collection, education, and technology transfer.
Following is a further overview of the bill:
The bill requires an interagency committee to develop a National Water Research and Development Initiative. The bill requires the President to establish or designate an interagency committee with representation from all federal agencies dealing with water to implement a National Water Research and Development Initiative to improve federal activities on water, including research, development, demonstration, data collection and dissemination, education, and technology transfer.
As part of the Initiative, the interagency committee is required to develop a National Water Availability Research and Assessment Plan. The bill requires this Plan to include such items as the following:
- A national water census.
- An assessment of national and regional water quality, availability, and use.
- Methods designed to resolve water resource conflicts.
- Water resource forecasting models.
- Technological development designed to increase water supplies and reduce water pollution.
- Identification of statutory or regulatory barriers to research on water resource technologies.
- An analysis of the energy-water nexus challenges throughout the United States.
The interagency committee is required to coordinate with the Global Change Research Program. To ensure that water-related climate change concerns are addressed, the bill requires the interagency committee to coordinate the activities of the Initiative with the United States Global Change Research Program.
The bill also creates a National Water Initiative Coordination Office. In an effort to provide technical and administrative support, the bill creates a National Water Initiative Coordination Office. The office would disseminate information to the public and serve as a point of contact for the Initiative. The bill authorizes $2 million per year to NOAA for coordination and outreach activities undertaken by the National Water Initiative Coordination Office.