Legislation introduced in the Senate on July 6 would permanently require water infrastructure projects funded through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) to only use American-made iron and steel.
According to a press release from bill sponsor Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the “Made in America Water Infrastructure Act” (S. 3131) would “ensure that the water American families drink is carried through high-quality pipes manufactured right here in the United States, not in a foreign country with lower quality controls.”
Since 2014, annual appropriations legislation approved by Congress has required all iron and steel used on DWSRF-funded projects to be made in the United States, unless EPA grants a waiver due to the unavailability of high-quality American products, or such products would increase overall project costs by at least 25 percent. The recent appropriations bills have allowed EPA to reserve up to 0.25 percent of a year’s DWSRF appropriation to cover administrative costs associated with managing the American iron and steel requirement – a provision that would be made permanent under S. 3131.
Also in 2014 Congress permanently codified similar Buy American rules for Clean Water SRF projects, so Sen. Baldwin’s legislation would do the same for projects funded through the drinking water program.
Congress appears unlikely to consider S. 3131 this year, but the FY17 EPA appropriations legislation pending in Congress would once again temporarily extend the Buy American rules that currently apply to the DWSRF through the next fiscal year.