Western Water Accelerated Revenue Repayment Act

This bill, called the Western Water Accelerated Revenue Repayment Act, would make permanent a program that lets certain water users in western states—like farms and cities—pay off what they owe under Bureau of Reclamation water contracts early, either all at once or over three years. A portion of these early payments must go into a federal account used to build new water storage, like reservoirs. Existing rules that direct some project-specific money to other accounts stay the same. The aim is to speed up payments, reduce financing costs for users, and help fund more water storage projects in the West. The bill also updates parts of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act tied to offsets and the water storage account, and extends this prepayment authority in law.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Western agriculture and municipal water users with Bureau of Reclamation contracts; communities that rely on Reclamation projects.
• What changes: Early payoff (lump sum or over three years) is permanently allowed; part of receipts goes to the Reclamation Water Storage Account for new storage construction; project-specific funding rules remain intact.
• When: The authority is made permanent in law, extending past prior deadlines under the WIIN Act .