Kelly, Gallego, Padilla Introduce Bill to Strengthen Water Storage Infrastructure
Today, Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Water Security and Drought Resilience Act, legislation that would strengthen our country’s drought preparedness and recovery infrastructure by expanding eligibility for federal funding under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN) of 2016 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021.
“As Arizona faces a historic drought, we can’t afford to miss chances to manage our water carefully and responsibly,” said Kelly. “By expanding eligibility for existing federal funding, water storage projects can move forward and help communities across the Valley build long-term drought resilience. That means more security for families, businesses, and communities that rely on Arizona’s water systems.”
“In Arizona, water is everything. This bill helps us build the water storage infrastructure we need to withstand droughts and make sure communities across our state have reliable access to water,” said Gallego. “Being able to store, move, and use water efficiently is essential to our Arizona’s future.”
“Californians are all too familiar with devastating long-term droughts, and as the climate crisis worsens, we must make investments in resilient water infrastructure now to protect our communities from the next mega drought,” said Padilla. “I am pleased to work with Senator Gallego to reauthorize the small storage program with particular emphasis on groundwater storage and to authorize natural infrastructure projects that store water for the environment and for downstream farms and cities’ use.”
Background:
The Water Security and Drought Resilience Act would strengthen water storage programs in Arizona and across the country by:
- Reauthorizing and expanding the IIJA’s Small Storage Program, which increases surface water or groundwater storage between 200- and 30,000-acre feet, with level funding.
- Creating a grant program for natural water retention and release projects that are designed to increase water availability through aquifer recharge, floodplain retention, the alteration of the timing of runoff to allow increased utilization of existing storage facilities, or another mechanism using primarily natural materials and mimicking natural hydrologic processes.
Click here to read the full text of the bill.
