Legislation announced on July 22 by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) would provide billions of dollars for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, affordability, and sustainability initiatives. Dubbed the Water Justice Act, the measure is unlikely to become law, but given Sen. Harris’ status as a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, it could lay the groundwork for a discussion of water infrastructure issues on the campaign trail.
The text of the proposal was not immediately available when Sen. Harris and Rep. Kildee announced the bill, but statements from their offices said the measure would:
- Provide $50 billion for communities and schools to remediate or replace “toxic drinking water infrastructure”;
- Invest nearly $170 billion in Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Drinking Water Act programs;
- Establish a $10 billion water affordability program for “environmentally at-risk” low-income communities and households; and
- Spend $20 billion on various water supply, recycling, and conservation programs.
There is little chance the legislation will see significant debate in Congress. Instead, Sen. Harris could use the proposal in campaign messaging to highlight water policy and environmental justice issues, and that in turn could raise the profile of the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure needs.