House and Senate negotiators announced a bipartisan agreement on the “Water Resources Reform and Development Act” (WRRDA) conference report last week, following six months of talks between the two chambers. Details of the deal will not be formally unveiled until this week, but the measure is widely expected to include some form of the “Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act” (WIFIA) that has been supported by AMWA and other water sector organizations.
A WIFIA pilot program that was included last year in the Senate-passed version of WRRDA would authorize EPA to offer low-interest loans for major drinking water and wastewater projects that are expected to cost in excess of $20 million. This WIFIA would operate independent of the existing Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs but would also be restricted by a provision that would bar the use of tax-exempt financing on WIFIA-funded projects.
The House and Senate could each vote on the final WRRDA agreement before the end of the month. The measure will be brought before each chamber for an up-or-down vote, with no opportunity for lawmakers to offer any amendments.