The MORE WATER Act establishes and expands federal programs to develop water infrastructure in western states, authorizing $500 million in grants from 2028 to 2032 for large-scale water recycling projects and $500 million more for water conveyance projects that combine drinking water access for low-income communities with environmental restoration. The legislation creates a Water Conveyance Improvement Program within the Bureau of Reclamation and extends an existing water recycling program by five years, with the federal government covering up to 50 percent of project costs while requiring at least half of funded projects to provide multi-benefit outcomes. The bill also streamlines federal water resources by directing the Interior Department to deauthorize inactive Bureau of Reclamation projects that haven't received funding in eight or more years, unless Congress funds them, non-federal sponsors complete financing, or the projects are deemed critical for public health, economic, or environmental reasons. Taken together, these provisions aim to modernize western water infrastructure, improve water security for underserved communities, and reallocate resources from stalled projects to active priorities.
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