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Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-73not60

§390h–3 Research and Demonstration Projects

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

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may run research and build cooperative demonstration projects to develop water treatment methods that clean city, industrial, household, and farm wastewater and polluted ground and surface water. The federal government can pay up to 50 percent of a project’s total cost, including operation and maintenance. Inventions from these projects are handled under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, as amended by the Technology Transfer Act of 1986. The Secretary cannot approve federal funding over 25 percent until deciding the project would not be feasible without that extra federal help. The Secretary may work with local partners on two named desalination projects: the Long Beach Desalination Research and Development Project in Los Angeles County (with the city of Long Beach, Central Basin Municipal Water District, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California) and the Las Vegas Area Shallow Aquifer Desalination Research and Development Project in Clark County (with the Southern Nevada Water Authority). For each project the federal share may not exceed 50 percent, and the Secretary will not pay for operation or maintenance.

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 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60