Ms. Johnson said in her statement for the record, ``As a Representative from the great state of Texas, I know how important water is to public health, the economy, and the environment. Moreover, Texans certainly are not alone. Whether facing unpredictable and extreme weather conditions in places like Idaho where increasingly difficult dam and reservoir management is making it harder to protect property and lives; the drawdown of aquifers in the Powder River Basin from coal-bed methane operations; or the billions of taxpayer dollars spent to upgrade water infrastructure in the East, water is an ever- present topic of dinner conversation and political tension across the country.``
In describing H.R. 5826, Ms. Johnson said, ``H.R. 5826 will authorize coordination of research activities to ensure a future where clean water is abundant, affordable, and accessible for generations to come. To do this, the country needs to better coordinate federal research among agencies which oversee and protect these natural resources. The bill elevates the importance of clean and reliable water through the implementation of a National Water Research and Development Initiative at the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the White House. The Initiative will improve the federal government's role in coordinating federal water research activities that identify, characterize, and address changes in U.S. clean water use, quality, supply, and demand.``
Ms. Johnson said of H.R. 5827, ``The Energy and Water Research Integration Act`` focuses attention on the energy-water nexus, a term used to describe the energy required to provide reliable water supplies and the water required to provide reliable energy supplies. The bill directs the Secretary of Energy to integrate water considerations into the Department of Energy's energy research. The bill requires the Secretary to seek to advance energy technologies and practices that would minimize freshwater withdrawal and consumption, increase water use efficiency, and utilize nontraditional water sources with efforts to improve water quality.``
These pieces of legislation are the product of several recommendations from the Committee`s hearings in the 110th and 111th Congresses on Federal research related to water and the energy-water nexus and reports from the National Academies, the Government Accountability Office, the National Science and Technology Council, and the Department of Energy. The bills are supported by small businesses like NanoH2O, who see the need for innovative technologies in the water sector, as well as national organizations like Alliance for Water Efficiency, the Water Innovation Alliance, the International association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), and the Water Research Foundation. The Water Environment Research Foundation also supports the energy-water bill.
