A new State Revolving Fund (SRF) reauthorization bill introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) on February 10 would drastically increase authorized funding for the Drinking Water and Clean Water programs to a total of $56.1 billion over five years.
In a statement announcing the bill Sen. Cardin noted the proposal would “more than triple” the typical funding levels each SRF program has received in recent years. Cardin also said the water crisis in Flint, Michigan has “shaken” the confidence Americans have in their drinking water.
“Pipes may be out of sight, but they cannot be out of mind. We cannot hide from our problems anymore,” Cardin said in his statement. “We need to face them and minimize the risks to our communities and our children. Urban, rural and suburban neighborhoods – in every community in America – all rely on safe, clean water. Our health and our livelihoods will continue to be in danger if we do not act decisively.”
S. 2532 would authorize annual funding levels for the DW and CW SRF programs from 2016 through 2020. The Drinking Water programs’ authorization would begin at $3.13 billion in FY16 and increase to $5.5 billion by 2020. The Clean Water program would begin at $5.18 billion in FY16 before rising to $9.06 billion in 2020.
Sen. Cardin’s staff has indicated that he may attempt to attach the measure to a larger water resources bill the Senate is expected to consider this year, but the bill’s high authorization levels are likely to draw opposition from Senate Republicans.