The Rundown
- Defense spending authorization bill includes provisions on helping households with PFAS in their well water and studying cancer incidence from toxic water.
- The bill also reflects concern among House Armed Services Committee members that placing data centers on Defense Department land could hamper the military’s mission in dry regions with energy and water challenges.
- A new Army Corps advisory committee on western water issues will hold its first meeting next week.
- Last month was the third warmest July since 1850.
And lastly, federal researchers assess ways to reduce post-wildfire debris flow risk.
“The committee is concerned that without adequate planning, the siting of AI data centers could have a deleterious effect on readiness and negatively impact mission assurance for core Department functions.” – Excerpt from the House Armed Services Committee report on a Defense Department spending authorization bill. The report notes that placing data centers on Defense Department property could consume large quantities of water and energy and impair the military’s mission. The report goes on to say that many bases with enough land for data centers have water and energy constraints. The White House has stated that it wants to speed data center permitting and use federal land to site the facilities.
The House committee instructs the department to submit a report by February 1, 2026, with a “risk-benefit analysis” of siting non-Defense Department data centers on DOD land. The analysis is supposed to include energy and water consumption and how to determine which bases have sufficient water supplies to host data centers.
By the Numbers
3rd: Last month was the third warmest July globally since modern record-keeping began in 1850, according to NOAA’s monthly global climate report. The previous two years had hotter Julys.
News Briefs
PFAS and Drinking Water at the Defense Department
The House’s 2026 Defense spending authorization bill contains a number of provisions related to the military’s water contamination and use.
The bill, which has advanced out of committee, instructs the department to provide clean drinking water from an alternative source to any household on a private well that is contaminated with PFAS due to military activities.
The department can stop providing alternative water – which could be bottled water – once the house has a permanent solution that supplies water below the federal limit for PFAS. A permanent solution could be a connection to a public water system, installation of an onsite filtration system, or some other option that meets the federal PFAS standard.
The bill also requires a study of cancer incidence among rotary wing aircraft personnel. If incidence is high, then a second study phase would look at sources: soil, water, burn pits, or other toxics.
The bill also directs the military secretaries to assess water-supply risk at their bases. Each secretary will identify the three most at-risk bases under their command and develop a strategy to reduce water-supply risk.
Other DOD PFAS-Related Requirements
Other PFAS-related requirements are in the bill’s companion report.
The department will be required to submit a report by May 31, 2026, “detailing all PFAS destruction, remediation, and disposal technologies currently in use and under consideration for use in the future.” Another report due that day will describe efforts to work with universities on PFAS detection and removal.
By March 1, 2026, the department is to brief the committee on efforts to address PFAS contamination in Japan caused by the military, especially its Okinawa bases. And by March 13, 2026, the department will brief the committee on PFAS in wildlife around military bases.
Other DOD Water-Related Requirements
There’s still more in the companion report.
The secretary of the army is to submit a report by February 1, 2026, on securing water rights for Fort Huachuca, in southern Arizona. “The committee is concerned that Fort Huachuca’s long-term operational viability is at risk due to water security constraints.” The fort’s groundwater use has lowered the San Pedro River. Conservation groups have sued.
Studies and Reports
Post-Wildfire Hazards
U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Forest Service researchers contributed to a study that assessed strategies for reducing the risk from post-wildfire debris flows and landslides.
The study centered on the years after the Grizzly Creek Fire, which burned across Glenwood Canyon, Colorado, in 2020.
In context: As Flames Scorch Western Forests, Flagstaff Area Offers Roadmap for Post-Wildfire Flood Prevention
Rising Groundwater
NOAA-funded research shows that rising groundwater levels in coastal Alabama could damage roads.
Coastal groundwater levels are putting infrastructure at risk because of rising seas.
On the Radar
Western Water Advisory Committee
A new Army Corps advisory committee will hold its first meeting on September 4, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern.
The Western Water Cooperative Committee will be a venue for discussion between Army Corps officials and local stakeholders in the 18 western states about project operations, water rights, and water quality.
The meeting will be livestreamed. Call-in details will be posted in the above link before the meeting.
PFAS Research Funding
The U.S. Geological Survey is seeking applications for $2.8 million dollars in research grant funding to study the movement of PFAS through the environment.
That includes bioaccumulation and atmospheric interactions.
Only state water resources research institutes are eligible to apply. Federal funds must be matched one-to-one, except for institutes in U.S. territories.
Applications are due September 30.
Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.
