Western lawmakers are urging the Bureau of Reclamation to increase the amount of money it spends on water recycling projects, citing rising construction costs.
California Sen. Alex Padilla (D) and Rep. Grace Napolitano (D) on Friday pressed the Biden administration to raise the per-project cap on federal funding for water recycling by $10 million, up from its current $30 million limit.
“As the West continues to recover from the impacts of long-term drought while also preparing for inevitable future droughts, it is imperative that the federal government continues to invest in local water supplies to meet the demands of recycled water in the West,” the lawmakers wrote in a Friday letter to Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton.
The letter, co-signed by nearly 30 Democrats, continued: “Increasing the per-project funding cap by adjusting for inflation would ensure that the BOR is bringing every tool and resource to bear to stretch limited water supplies and bolster drought resilience.”
