Sec. 2826. Improving water management and security on military installations
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/bill/116/hr/6395/pcs/section-2826A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary concerned shall adopt a risk-based approach to water management and security for each military installation under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. The Secretary concerned shall begin implementation of paragraph
(1)by prioritizing those military installations under the jurisdiction of the Secretary that the Secretary determines— are experiencing the greatest risks to sustainable water management and security; and face the most severe existing or potential adverse impacts to mission assurance as a result of such risks. Determinations under paragraph
(2)shall be made on the basis of the water management and security assessments made by the Secretary concerned under subsection (b). The Secretaries concerned, acting jointly, shall develop a methodology to assess risks to sustainable water management and security and mission assurance. Required elements of the assessment methodology shall include the following: An evaluation of the water sources and supply connections for a military installation, including water flow rate and extent of competition for the water sources. An evaluation of the age, condition, and jurisdictional control of water infrastructure serving the military installation. An evaluation of the military installation’s water-security risks related to drought-prone climates, impacts of defense water usage on regional water demands, water quality, and legal issues, such as water rights disputes. An evaluation of the resiliency of the military installation’s water supply and the overall health of the aquifer basin of which the water supply is a part, including the robustness of the resource, redundancy, and ability to recover from disruption. An evaluation of existing water metering and consumption at the military installation, considered at a minimum— by type of installation activity, such as training, maintenance, medical, housing, and grounds maintenance and landscaping; and by fluctuations in consumption, including peak consumption by quarter. The Secretary concerned shall conduct an evaluation of each military installation under the jurisdiction of the Secretary to determine the potential for the military installation, or at a minimum certain installation activities, to achieve net zero water usage. Required elements of each evaluation shall include the following: An evaluation of alternative water sources to offset use of freshwater, including water recycling and harvested rainwater for use as non-potable water. An evaluation of the practicality of implementing Department of Energy guidelines for net zero water usage, when practicable to minimize water consumption and wastewater discharge in buildings scheduled for renovation. An evaluation of the practicality of implementing net zero water usage technology into new construction in water-constrained areas, as determined by water management and security assessments conducted under subsection (b). The Secretary concerned shall implement, to the maximum extent practicable, at each military installation under the jurisdiction of the Secretary landscaping management practices to increase water resilience and ensure greater quantities of water availability for operational, training, and maintenance requirements. For military installations located in arid or semi-arid climates, landscaping management practices shall include the use of xeriscaping. For military installations located in arid or non-arid climates, landscaping management practices shall include the use of plants common to the region in which the installation is located and native grasses and plants. The Secretary concerned shall follow the recommendations of the Department of Defense Pollinator Conservation Reference Guide (September 2018) to the maximum extent practicable in order to reduce operation and maintenance costs related to landscaping management, while improving area management. Consistent with such guide, in the preparation of a military installation landscaping plan, the Secretary concerned should consider the following: Adding native flowering plants to sunny open areas and removing overhanging tree limbs above open patches within forested areas or dense shrub. Removing or controlling invasive plants to improve pollinator habitat. Preserving known and potential pollinator nesting and overwintering sites. Eliminating or minimizing pesticide use in pollinator habitat areas. Mowing in late fall or winter after plants have bloomed and set seed, adjusting timing to avoid vulnerable life stages of special status pollinators. Mowing mid-day when adult pollinators can avoid mowing equipment. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the other Secretaries concerned, shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the progress made in implementing this section. The report shall include the following: The methodology developed under subsection
(b)to conduct water management and security assessments. A list of the military installations that have been assessed using such methodology and a description of the findings. A list of planned assessments for the one-year period beginning on the date of the submission of the report. An evaluation of the progress made on implementation of xeriscaping and other regionally appropriate landscaping practices at military installations. In this section: The term net zero water usage , with respect to a military installation or installation activity, means a situation in which the combination of limitations on the consumption of water resources and the return of water to an original water source by the installation or activity is sufficient to prevent any reduction in the water resources of the area in both quantity and quality over a reasonable period of time. The terms Secretary concerned and Secretary mean the Secretary of a military department and the Secretary of Defense with respect to the Pentagon Reservation. The term xeriscaping means landscape design that emphasizes low water use and drought-tolerant plants that require little or no supplemental irrigation.