H.R. 6639 — Water Agency and Transparency Enhancement Review (WATER) Act

This section directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Commerce to identify all ongoing or potential major water-supply and storage projects (including surface and groundwater storage, aquifer recharge, and state conveyance projects) in California for which they share joint responsibility under ESA §7(a) (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)) (i.e., federal agency consultation requirements to avoid jeopardizing listed species or critical habitat) or have individual responsibilities under NEPA. The section further requires each Secretary to designate a compliance official to coordinate agency obligations under ESA and NEPA for such projects; directs those officials, not later than 30 days after enactment, to (1) identify regulatory hurdles that unduly burden the projects, (2) identify recent changes in applicable state or federal law (including those from the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023) impacting the projects, and (3) develop proposed plans to suspend, revise, or rescind unnecessary regulations or procedures; and requires the officials to coordinate and share information to improve efficiencies. The section defines "unduly burden" as unnecessarily obstructing, delaying, curtailing, impeding, or imposing significant costs on the permitting, utilization, transmission, delivery, or supply of water resources and infrastructure.