Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.) yesterday offered legislation that would fund research into ways to turn sea water into drinkable water.
Napolitano authored H.R. 2664, which would reauthorize the Desalination Act of 1996 and allocate $2 million per year through 2016. That law has funded projects or studies in more than half of the 50 states, Napolitano’s office said. In California, which has been beset by droughts, there have been 38 projects since 1996.
“Desalination is another promising source of water, especially for Western states, and these programs deserve federal support,” Napolitano said in a statement. “If we can continue to perfect the technologies and bring down the cost of producing new water from the ocean, we will have a reliable, drought-proof source of water and a powerful engine for economic growth.