Statement of William Rinne
Deputy Commissioner, Operations
Bureau of Reclamation
On
H.R. 2991
before the
Committee on Resources
Subcommittee on Water and Power
House of Representatives
September 10, 2003
My name is William Rinne and I am Deputy Commissioner, Operations, for the Bureau of Reclamation. I am pleased to present of views of the Department of the Interior on H.R. 2991, a bill to authorize the Inland Empire and Cucamonga County recycling projects. H.R. 2991 would amend Title XVI, the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (P.L. 102-575) to include design, planning, and construction authority for these two projects.
The bill would authorize the Inland Empire recycling project with a Federal cost share not to exceed 25 percent, and a funding authorization of $20 million. The bill would also authorize the Cucamonga County Water District Pilot Satellite Recycling Plant with a Federal cost share not to exceed 25 percent, and a funding authorization of $10 million. The local water district had a feasibility report prepared that reviewed the proposed regional plans for the area and recommended, among other things, a more localized recycling system consisting of several smaller plants located closer to their demand centers.
The Department cannot support enactment of this legislation for two primary reasons. First, any new project authorized at this time will place an additional burden on Reclamation’s already tight budget, and could potentially delay the completion of other currently authorized projects. With the tremendous backlog of existing Title XVI projects, we cannot support the addition of new projects at this time. Second, in the case of the Cucamonga County Water District Pilot Satellite Recycling Plant, the feasibility study prepared by the local water district was not done in consultation with Reclamation and thus would need to be reviewed to assure it meets our criteria.
The economic and efficient use of water is a priority for the Department of Interior. The Department strongly encourages local water recycling and desalination efforts. Partnering with state and local governments is in accord with the Secretary’s Water 2025 framework for anticipating water supply crises and preventing them through communication, consultation and cooperation, in service of conservation.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on H.R. 2991. That concludes my statement and I would be happy to answer any questions.