The bill which includes the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk after being approved by both the U.S. Senate and House. S. 3021 was approved unanimously by the House of Representatives on September 13 and on October 11 by the Senate with a vote of 99-1.
The American Public Works Association (APWA) came out shortly after the Senate in vote October to applaud Congress for passing S. 3021, “America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018”, which includes bipartisan elements of bills passed by several Congressional committees, including the Secure Required Funding for Water Infrastructure Now (SRF WIN) Act, the Drinking Water System Improvement Act, and other elements related to water infrastructure.
“APWA and its more than 30,000 members across the country are grateful for the bipartisan work done by Congress to pass this important water infrastructure legislation. Leadership and members for both parties worked together to arrive at common sense, consensus solutions to help America’s communities operate and maintain their water infrastructure. America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 includes the bipartisan Securing Required Funds for Water Infrastructure Now (SRF WIN) Act language, as well as the bipartisan Drinking Water Systems Improvement Act language. These important proposals will help communities across our nation maintain and enhance their water infrastructure by providing much needed financial support and resources,” said APWA President David L. Lawry, P.E., in a news release.
The APWA says inclusion of the SRF WIN Act will help communities across the nation maintain and enhance their water infrastructure by providing much needed financial support. The legislation provides dedicated Federal funding, directly to States, allowing the nation’s communities to finance essential water infrastructure projects. By applying the leveraging component of the Water Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act (WIFIA) program directly to the State-administered State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs, A{WA says SRF WIN combines the best elements of both programs. Additionally, by providing funding directly to State financing authorities, as prescribed in WIFIA, the legislation streamlines the application process, allowing States to bundle projects from their intended use plan into one application. Finally, SRF WIN includes language preserving continued Federal funding for the SRF Capitalization Grant program and WIFIA, ensuring that funding levels for those programs will not decrease.
In addition, the APWA says the inclusion of the Drinking Water Systems Improvement Act provides much needed support for the repair and renewal of millions of miles of aging water infrastructure throughout the country. The legislation reauthorizes the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program and increases funding levels over the next three years.
In summary, the bill:
- Includes billions of dollars in deauthorizations – making the legislation fiscally responsible;
- Authorizes federal funding for water infrastructure projects, which leverages billions in water infrastructure spending;
- Expands water storage capabilities;
- Assists local communities in complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act by upgrading aging drinking water, wastewater and irrigation systems;
- Reduces flooding risks for rural, western, and coastal communities;
- Ensures that America maintains the competitiveness of our coastal and inland ports, and maintain the navigability of our inland waterways;
- Creates a new framework to allow for more U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects to be budgeted with increased local stakeholder input and expanded transparency;
- Authorizes or reauthorize important water infrastructure programs and projects;
- Addresses significant water infrastructure needs in tribal communities.
- President Trump is expected to sign the legislation into law.