House passes bill for water project

After a brief two-minute debate, the House passed a bill Tuesday that would direct $12 million in federal funds to the Magna Water District for a water reuse project.

The bill by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, passed by a voice vote and now goes to the Senate for consideration.

The Magna district is seeking $12 million in federal funding for a project that would cost $51 million overall.

In part, that project would build an electrodialysis reversal plant to remove perchlorate (a chemical found in rocket fuel and explosives) and arsenic from a well field for drinking water.

The project also would use a "bioreactor" process to treat effluent from the electrodialysis reversal facility and use that treated water for outdoor irrigation and to recharge well fields.

"We have very limited water supplies in the West," Chaffetz told the House. "We need every tool in the water toolbox to help us meet our water supply needs."

He said the bill will "help stretch our supplies to meet the growing needs of our communities."

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation earlier this year certified the project as feasible. But the Obama administration opposed the bill, saying too many other water-use projects nationally have already been approved and are in line for funding far into the future, so it makes no sense to approve more.

— Lee Davidson