S. 5352 · In committee · Water Resources Development

Desalination Reauthorization Act

What it does

Extends the desalination program authorization in the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, with projects under Section 4007 or amendments by Section 4009(c) expiring 15 years after enactment.
Allows the Secretary of the Interior to fund up to 25 percent of the total cost of eligible desalination projects in Reclamation States, with no dollar cap on federal participation.
Requires that desalination projects involve ocean or brackish water facilities operated by states, Indian tribes, or water districts, and be sponsored or funded by public entities with at least 25 percent of planning, design, and construction costs.
Directs the Secretary to provide competitive grants for advanced pilot desalination technologies and first-of-a-kind systems, including technoeconomic analyses to estimate the levelized cost of water at full scale.
Expands cost-sharing requirements to include advanced pilot desalination studies under Section 7 of the Water Desalination Act of 1996.

Sep 30, 2026: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

Committee: Senate Energy and Natural Resources