More than six weeks after announcing plans to introduce legislation known as the Water Justice Act, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) formally introduced the bill on September 11 as S. 2466. The measure would offer hundreds of billions of dollars for various drinking water and wastewater funding initiatives, but would also require EPA to quickly set interim drinking water standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
New water spending called for by the bill includes:
- An emergency supplemental appropriation of $50 billion for “replacement of lead-tainted infrastructure,” including for schools to replace lead pipes and drinking water fountains;
- A 5-year, $10 billion program offering grants to support state-based low-income water affordability initiatives;
- An authorization of $750 million over five years for a new program to help low income communities with drinking water system operations and maintenance costs;
- New mandatory spending of more than $30 billion per year on the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs; and
- An authorization of $10 billion over five years for a new Water Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
Another section of the bill would require EPA to set interim drinking water regulations for PFOA and PFOS within two years, and for other PFAS as a class within four years. The Safe Drinking Water Act allows EPA to establish interim drinking water regulations after consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services when contaminants pose an urgent threat to public health, but the proposal would bypass the consultation and require EPA to take action to regulate the substances on an expedited basis.
The Water Justice Act will not see consideration in the Republican-controlled Senate, but it does indicate the water policy priorities of some leading Democrats. The measure could also serve as a talking point during Sen. Harris’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) introduced a companion version of the bill as H.R. 4033 in the House of Representatives in July.