Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced the Advancing Water Reuse Act, legislation that would establish a 30 percent investment tax credit to encourage manufacturers and other industrial entities to scale up their use of recycled water in place of freshwater supplies.
The Senate measure is a companion to H.R. 2940, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Brad Schneider (D-IL).
Industry and manufacturing represent the second-largest draw on American water supplies, after agriculture. According to backers of the bill, water reuse currently offsets only a fraction of industrial water demand, leaving room for significant expansion. The legislation is intended to help businesses secure long-term, reliable water supplies while easing pressure on community water resources.
Industrial water reuse refers to the treatment of water to meet specific quality standards for an intended end use. The water can be captured, treated, and reused at the same facility, known as onsite reuse, or supplied through public-private partnerships in which municipalities treat and deliver recycled water to industrial users.
“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 Bruno Pigott, executive director of the WateReuse Association. “WateReuse Association applauds Senators Britt and Luján for introducing legislation to unleash the potential of industrial water reuse for the American economy.”
By incentivizing investments in water reuse, supporters say the Advancing Water Reuse Act would help protect water quality by limiting discharges of industrial effluent, reducing demand on freshwater supplies, and spurring business development and job growth.
