July 22, 2005                                                                                                           Position No. 263

Senator Pete Domenici, Chairman

Energy and Natural Resources Committee

United States Senate

328 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Domenici:

            We would like to reiterate our support for legislation to meet the water supply needs of rural communities, particularly western communities, which have suffered from drought for a number of years. The Western States Water Council represents eighteen states, which include all the Reclamation Act States, plus Alaska. Our members are appointed by their respective governors and we advise the governors on a broad range of water policy issues. We are closely affiliated with the Western Governors’ Association (WGA), and we appreciate the opportunity we had in May to testify regarding S. 895, the Rural Water Supply Act of 2005, on behalf of the Council and WGA.

            Much of the West is characterized by its aridity, and the current drought highlights the fact that water availability continues to define and circumscribe our economic and environmental well being and quality of life. This is particularly true in many small rural communities, which may often lack the ability to meet pressing water supply needs and federal safe drinking water standards and requirements without some assistance from state or federal sources. Lacking the economies of scale available to larger cities, small communities face much higher costs per capita. We strongly support federal legislation to provide technical and financial assistance for small rural communities, augmenting available local and state resources.

            We believe that Title II of S. 895, cited as the “Twenty-First Century Water Works Act,” which authorizes a new loan guarantee for certain projects, is an important and much needed tool. We appreciate your efforts in sponsoring and shepherding S. 895 through the federal legislative process. We hope to see this legislation enacted soon to create a systematic, integrated approach to investigating, authorizing and constructing projects to meet rural western needs in close cooperation with State, local and regional entities, as well as tribes. We strongly believe states should play a key role in the development and establishment of guidelines and criteria for determining program eligibility and in selecting project priorities. Moreover, federal efforts should be coordinated with state and local watershed plans. It is also important that non-Federal entities retain title to projects.

            Again, we applaud your efforts to address the water supply needs of rural communities and hope to be able to work together to authorize, fund and implement an appropriate program and specific projects, in partnership with state and local entities and tribes, to meet present and future water needs in the West. Hopefully, we can find ways to ensure western water supplies meet minimal standards of public health and are sufficient to carry us through times of shortage.

Sincerely,

Hal Simpson, Chairman

Western States Water Council

F:\USERS\CHERYL\HTML\05ruralwatersupply.wpd