The US House of Representatives on 11 February 2009 passed a bill by Utah Democrat Jim Matheson to create new research programs into how to conserve water, use it more efficiently and reuse wastewater.
The Water-Use Efficiency & Conservation Research Act authorizes US$100 million over five years to create a research and development program on water-use efficiency and conservation within the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research & Development. It will research technology and processes dealing with the collection, storage and resuse of rainwater, stormwater and greywater.
The bill requires the EPA to add at least four advanced water efficiency development projects that relate to incorporating the latest water use efficiency and conservation technologies and designs. At least one of the projects would be for a residential building, at least one for a commercial building, and all would be accessible to the public.