A. The Water Center shall (i) consult with the General Assembly; federal, state, and local agencies; water user groups; private industry; and other potential users of research; (ii) establish and administer agreements with other public institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education to conduct research projects; (iii) disseminate new information and facilitate the transfer and application of new technology; (iv) be a liaison between the Commonwealth and the federal research funding agencies and advocate for the Commonwealth's water research needs; and (v) encourage the development of academic programs in water resources management in conjunction with the Council.
B. The Water Center shall facilitate and stimulate research that (i) deals with policy issues facing the General Assembly, (ii) supports the state water resource agencies, and (iii) provides water planning and management organizations with tools to increase efficiency and effectiveness of water planning and management.