The WateReuse Association celebrated the introduction of S.4231, the Support to Rehydrate the Environment, Agriculture and Municipalities (STREAM) Act, which aims to authorize $300 million for water reuse projects through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI-WIIN Water Reuse Grants Program.
The pending bill would also raise the per-project funding cap for Title XVI-WIIN projects from $20 million to $50 million and authorize an additional $150 million for desalination projects.
WateReuse worked closely with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to craft the legislation. The bill was introduced to the Senate on May 17.
“The STREAM Act, like last year’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, elevates water reuse as an integral tool for addressing the water resource management challenges of today,” said Patricia Sinicropi, Executive Director of the WateReuse Association.
Communities throughout the country are turning to water reuse to build climate resilience, protect water quality, and meet a wide range of water management challenges. In the face of persistent drought in the West, the STREAM Act will help communities generate sustainable water supplies for drinking, irrigation, environmental restoration, and other important uses.
“As the past two years have painfully demonstrated, severe and prolonged drought exacerbated by climate change is the stark reality for the West,” said Feinstein. “If we don’t take action now to improve our drought resilience, it’s only going to get worse. We need an ‘all-of-the-above’ strategy to meet this challenge, including increasing our water supply, incentivizing projects that provide environmental benefits and drinking water for disadvantaged communities, and investing in environmental restoration efforts.”
The WateReuse Association says that it looks forward to working with Congress to enact the legislation this year.
