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P U B U C LAW 85-883-SEPT. 2, 1958
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Public Law 85-883 September 2, 1958 [S.J. R e s. 135]
JOINT RESOLUTION Providing for the construction of demonstration plants for the production, from saline or brackish waters, of water suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses.
Whereas official Government reports show unmistakably that the United States population is multiplying at a rate which by 1980 will triple the demand for supplies of fresh water, which if not available will adversely affect the national defense by jeopardizing the economic welfare and general well-being of vast segments of the population of the United States, as well as the population of some of our Territorial possessions; and Whereas many cities, towns, and rural areas are already confronted by shortages of potable water that imperil health; and Whereas the expanding population, industry, and agriculture of the United States are becoming increasingly dependent upon an assured augmented supply of fresh water while the future welfare and national defense of the United States rest upon increased sources of fresh water; and Whereas research by governmental agencies, educational institutions, and private industry has brought about the evolution, on a limited scale, of methods of desalting sea water and the treatment of brackish water which give promise of ultimate economical results; and Whereas the United States Government has the responsibility, along with safeguarding the national defense, and protecting the health, welfare, and economic stability of the country, to transform these experiments into production tests on a scale not possible of achievement otherwise; and Whereas the Congress recognized its responsibility in this field by the enactment in 1952 of the Saline Water Act (66 Stat. 328), re42 USC 1951 et aeq. affirmed its position by the amendments to such Act in 1955 (69 Stat. 198); and the legislative history of such Acts reveals that the Congress recognized even then that the time had arrived for tackling the problem more realistically and effectively, but unfortunately the program was limited to such an extent that concrete results are not possible of attainment under the provisions of existing legislation; and Whereas the Congress now finds it is in the national interest to demonstrate, with the least possible delay, in actual production tests the several optimum aspects of the construction, operation, and maintenance of sea water conversion and brackish water treatment plants: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United Saline water re States of America in Congress assembled. That (a) the Secretary of sewch. Demonstration the Interior shall, pursuant to the provisions of the Act of July 3, ^^66*liat. 328. 1952, as amended (^42 U.S.C. 1951-1958), and in accordance with this joint resolution, provide for the construction, operation, and maintenance of not less than five demonstration plants for the production, from sea water or brackish water, of water suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses. Such plants shall be designed to demonstrate the reliability, engineering, operating, and economic potentials of the sea or brackish water conversion processes which the Secretary shall select from among the most promising of the presently known processes, and each plant shall demonstrate a different process. A decision with respect to the process to be utilized in the first of these five plants shall be made by the Secretary within six months after the date of approval of this joint resolution and decisions with respect to the processes to be utilized in the
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