U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico) and Katie Britt (R-Alabama) introduced on May 13 the Advancing Water Reuse Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide a federal tax incentive for manufacturers and other industrial entities to invest in water reuse systems and infrastructure.
As the nation’s aging water infrastructure struggles to meet growing public and private demands for freshwater, the Advancing Water Reuse Act aims to expand investments in water reuse to protect water, reduce demand on freshwater supplies, and spur business development and job growth.
Water reuse is the process of intentionally capturing and treating wastewater, stormwater, saltwater, or graywater to make it suitable for beneficial freshwater uses, including industrial processes, irrigation, and groundwater replenishment.
“Water is the fuel of our growing economy. Businesses need local, reliable, and cost-effective strategies that protect water resources for the communities in which they operate,” said WateReuse Association Executive Director Bruno Pigott.
Specifically, the Advancing Water Reuse Act:
- Creates a 30 percent Investment Tax Credit for qualifying water reuse projects
- Encourages partnerships between businesses and municipal water recycling systems to increase the use of recycled water
- Covers projects that:
- Supports installation or expansion of onsite water recycling systems at manufacturing, food processing, and other industrial entities, including data center facilities
- Replaces the use of freshwater such as groundwater with recycled water from a municipal water provider for the production of goods or provision of services
- Builds or expands a municipal water recycling system for the purpose of securing recycled water for the production of goods or provision of services.
The Advancing Water Reuse Act is supported by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, American Public Works Association, American Water Works Association, Epic Cleantec, Grundfos, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, National Association of Clean Water Agencies, National Association of Water Companies, National Water Resources Association, Pacific Institute, PepsiCo, Plumbing Manufacturers International, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Veolia, Water Environment Federation, Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association, National Association of Manufacturers, WateReuse Association, and Xylem.
Click here for the one-pager of the legislation. Click here for the full bill text.
NGWA underscored the critical role groundwater professionals play in helping communities manage water resources responsibly as data centers expand across the United States with the Association’s latest position paper and a three-part series in its monthly trade magazine, Water Well Journal.
The position paper notes that data center growth must be planned and managed in a manner that protects groundwater resources that are relied upon by communities and ecosystems. It adds that policymakers, regulators, and data center developers need to incorporate groundwater sustainability into siting, permitting, and operational decisions, including clear disclosure of water sources and use.
Both the position paper and three-part article series can be found on the Associations' website dedicated to data centers titled Issue: Data Centers and Groundwater.
NGWA will host a members-only webinar, Data Centers and Groundwater: What NGWA Members Need to Know, on August 5. Click here to register.