Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) introduced legislation in the House of Representatives earlier this month that would help water and wastewater utilities adapt their infrastructure to the impacts of changing hydrological conditions.
H.R. 765, the “Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act,” mirrors legislation of the same name Rep. Capps introduced in 2011. The bill would establish a competitive program at EPA to offer assistance to water and wastewater utilities undertaking projects to further the sustainability of their infrastructure or to study the potential impacts of changing hydrological conditions on their water system. The bill would benefit water systems facing water supply or quality issues that are a consequence of a range of factors, including global climate change.
Like the 2011 legislation, projects eligible for funding assistance under H.R. 765 would include water conservation and efficiency improvements; “green infrastructure” measures that protect source water quality or reduce flood vulnerability; relocation or modification of existing infrastructure that is or will be impaired by changing hydrological conditions; water reuse, recycling or desalination projects that serve existing communities; efforts to enhance a utility’s energy efficiency or to utilize renewable energy in the management and treatment of water; and local or regional studies that identify specific climate-related risks to communities.
AMWA worked closely with Rep. Capps’ staff to develop the original legislation and has organized support around this year’s version as well. On February 20, AMWA and a coalition of water utility and environmental organizations sent a letter to Rep. Capps endorsing the bill. Meanwhile, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who introduced a Senate version of the legislation during the 112th Congress, is reportedly planning to offer a new companion bill in the coming weeks.