Legislation aimed at helping water and wastewater utilities adapt their infrastructure to changing hydrological conditions will be introduced in the House and Senate before Congress breaks for its August recess, Capitol Hill staff have told AMWA.
The “Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act” is based on a bill first introduced in 2009 that would establish a competitive grant program at EPA offering matching funds to utilities seeking to upgrade infrastructure to ensure future sustainability or to study the likely impacts of changing hydrological conditions on their water system. At last count the measure had attracted the support of fifteen different water utility and environmental organizations.
Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-Calif.) will introduce the measure in the House of Representatives, with Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) slated to sponsor the bill in the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will be an original cosponsor of the Senate bill.
In a “Dear Colleague” letter circulated to House offices in July, Rep. Capps noted that EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has called water utility adaptation a “significant issue” that must be faced in the years ahead, and also pointed to the job-creating potential of local water infrastructure projects.
AMWA led the water sector’s effort to develop the bill and is encouraging its member utilities to ask their congressional representatives to support it. For more information, or for a draft letter that may be used as a model to write members of Congress, please contact AMWA’s Dan Hartnett at [email protected].