The WATER Act, H.R. 4220, sponsored by Rep. Ken Buck (CO-04), was marked up and voted out of committee by the House Ways and Means Committee. The WATER Act Allows mutual water storage and delivery companies to maintain their non-profit status, even if they receive more than 15% of their revenue from non-members, so long as the monies are reinvested into maintenance, operations, and infrastructure improvements. In other words, this legislation would allow mutual irrigation and ditch companies to use revenue from non-members for infrastructure that’s vital to their operations, which keeps water prices lower for users.

“The WATER Act ensures that farmers and ranchers have access to low cost water resources,” Congressman Ken Buck stated. “I’m glad I could work with Chairman Brady and the House Ways and Means committee to advance this legislation that is so important to communities in the Western United States.”

Rep. Buck’s bill will next go to the House floor for a vote by the whole House.