PRIA Logo™
Take the PRIA Score
Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73

§390h–3 Research and demonstration projects

Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 390h–3

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the Secretary to run research and build cooperative demo projects to test water treatment methods for cleaning municipal, industrial, domestic, and farm wastewater, and naturally impaired ground and surface waters. The federal government may pay up to 50% of each demo project’s total cost, including operation and maintenance. Rights to inventions follow the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 and the Technology Transfer Act of 1986. The Secretary may work with Long Beach, Central Basin Municipal Water District, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on the Long Beach Desalination Research and Development Project (Los Angeles County) and with the Southern Nevada Water Authority on the Las Vegas Area Shallow Aquifer Desalination Project (Clark County, Nevada). For those projects the federal share is capped at 50%, and no federal money may pay for their operation or maintenance. Any federal contribution over 25% requires the Secretary to first find the project would not be feasible without that larger federal share.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §390h–3

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary is authorized to conduct research and to construct, operate, and maintain cooperative demonstration projects for the development and demonstration of appropriate treatment technologies for the reclamation of municipal, industrial, domestic, and agricultural wastewater, and naturally impaired ground and surface waters. The Federal share of the costs of demonstration projects shall not exceed 50 per centum of the total cost including operation and maintenance. Rights to inventions developed pursuant to this section shall be governed by the provisions of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–480) [15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.] as amended by the Technology Transfer Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–502).
(b)(1)The Secretary, in cooperation with the city of Long Beach, the Central Basin Municipal Water District, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California may participate in the design, planning, and construction of the Long Beach Desalination Research and Development Project in Los Angeles County, California.
(2)The Federal share of the cost of the project described in paragraph (1) shall not exceed 50 percent of the total.
(3)The Secretary shall not provide funds for the operation or maintenance of the project described in paragraph (1).
(c)(1)The Secretary, in cooperation with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, may participate in the design, planning, and construction of the Las Vegas Area Shallow Aquifer Desalination Research and Development Project in Clark County, Nevada.
(2)The Federal share of the cost of the project described in paragraph (1) shall not exceed 50 percent of the total.
(3)The Secretary shall not provide funds for the operation or maintenance of the project described in paragraph (1).
(d)A Federal contribution in excess of 25 percent for a project under this section may not be made until after the Secretary determines that the project is not feasible without such Federal contribution.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 96–480, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2311, which is classified generally to chapter 63 (§ 3701 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 3701 of Title 15 and Tables. The Technology Transfer Act of 1986, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 99–502, Oct. 20, 1986, 100 Stat. 1785, known as the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

of 1986

Amendments

note set out under section 3701 of Title 15 and Tables.

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–266 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) to (d).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 390h–3

Title 43 — Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73