A big step was taken to address the nation's water infrastructure needs when the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) voted to send the Water Infrastructure Financing Act (S. 1961) to the Senate floor.
The bill authorizes the funding of needed water infrastructure improvements throughout the nation. Yearly authorization levels would increase from $3 billion to $8 billion over five years, with a total authorization level of $41.5 billion.
The bill includes:
$20 billion over five years for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $15 billion over five years for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund;
$1 billion annual grants for five years to small drinking water systems (systems serving up to 15,000 people);
The Campaign for Safe and Affordable Drinking Water has played a key role in advocating for new cost effective and environmentally protective approaches to water infrastructure.
Paul Schwartz, National Policy Coordinator for Clean Water Action testified in front of two House Committees and the Senate EPW that new federal investments in water infrastructure should be targeted, not just at end-of-the-pipe solutions, but also at green infrastructure “soft path” alternatives.
You may view the entire testimony Paul Schwartz presented before the U.S. House Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee on April 11, 2002
