House Transportation Leaders Introduce Bipartisan Water Infrastructure Legislation

Last week, the Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), announced plans to introduce the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021. The bipartisan plan would authorize $50 billion in direct infrastructure investment over the next five years to address wastewater infrastructure and local water quality challenges. The bill would also significantly increase the amount of federal assistance made available to states and communities through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) program—the primary source of federal assistance for wastewater infrastructure construction.
 
The bill has backing from original co-sponsors Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), as well as a host of local municipalities, environmental organizations, and business groups engaged in water infrastructure development, water quality, and wastewater management issues. 
In addition to authorizing $40 billion for the SRF program to fund low-interest loans and water infrastructure development grants to communities around the country, the bill would:
 

• Authorize an additional $2 billion for grants to municipalities to capture, treat, or reuse sewer overflows or stormwater.
• Authorize $2.5 billion in grants for states to implement water pollution control programs.
• Provide $1 billion for clean water pilot programs for watershed-based efforts to address wet weather discharges, to promote stormwater best practices, to undertake integrated water resource management, and to increase climate resiliency.
• Authorize $1 billion in grants for alternative water source projects, such as wastewater or stormwater reuse, to augment the existing water supplies.
• Provide $1 billion in Clean Water Act grants to municipalities to implement treatment standards for PFAS and other emerging contaminants.
• Provide $2.5 billion in wastewater infrastructure assistance to address the backlog of critical needs for Indian Tribes.

For additional information, include the full bill text and a section-by-section breakdown, visit: https://transportation.house.gov/news/press-releases/defazio-napolitano-and-fitzpatrick-to-introduce-legislation-to-help-communities-across-the-country-upgrade-their-wastewater-infrastructure-and-address-local-water-quality-challenges-