Got Water? (Rep. Bart Gordon)
September 26th, 2008
Water is essential to everything we do and there is no substitute for it. When severe water shortages occur, the economic effect can be substantial. According to NOAA, eight regional water shortages from drought or heat waves resulted in $1 billion or more in monetary losses each over the 20 years prior to the 2000 report.
Right now in Tennessee, farmers are suffering crop loss due to a lack of rainfall. With thirty-nine states expected to experience droughts in the next five years, this issue will only grow in importance.
If we are to avoid water-shortage crises in the future, we need an effective research and development effort that provides tools and information to manage our water resources effectively.
Yesterday, I introduced legislation to create a national water Initiative. The Initiative will coordinate and support federal water research, education, and technology transfer activities to address changes in water use, supply, and demand in the U.S. It includes support to increase water supply through greater efficiency and conservation. This legislation will help to engage stakeholders at all levels of government, academia, and industry to create a national strategy to ensure adequate water for the 21st century and beyond.
The National Academies have reported that the United States is not getting its money’s worth on water resources research because of a lack of coordination. We need to ensure that taxpayer money is getting the best return on investment. That is especially important during tough budgetary times.
I’m pleased that the House of Representatives also recently passed two pieces of water legislation that originated in the Committee on Science and Technology: H.R. 3957, The Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Research Act, and H.R. 2339, The Produced Water Utilization Act.
As Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, I will do everything in our power to promote effective water management so the well does not run dry.
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