On May 6, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee marked up America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020 (S. 3591), drawing bipartisan support benefiting water treatment plants and other projects in towns located in virtually every district.
Committee Chairman Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Ranking Member Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), who worked together to develop the bill along with several key EPW Committee members, are looking for swift consideration by the full Senate. However, the Senate schedule (as well as the House schedule) remains in flux in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, and floor timing will likely be disrupted by the need for members of Congress to return home for 2020 campaigning.
America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) focuses mostly on Army Corps of Engineers' projects and policy, and would authorize roughly $17 billion in infrastructure projects while increasing water storage and reducing flood risks, but it also includes a major clean water section that includes wastewater and stormwater provisions. It would reauthorize a 2018 water infrastructure law touted by Republicans and Democrats alike as the most sweeping infrastructure measure to be considered in the last Congress. WEF and its members advocated for may of the provisions that were included in AWIA.
Several key components included in the bill include:
- Clean Water SRF Reauthorization at $2B for FY21, $2.5B for FY22, $3B for FY23
- WIFIA Reauthorization at $50M/yr. for FY21 & FY22
- Clean Water SRF Uses
- Additional subsidization, such as grants, negative interest loans and loan forgiveness, or to buy, refinance or purchase debt
- Funds can be used to design and engineer wastewater and stormwater treatment systems
- Workforce Grant Program Reauthorized to $2M
- New Energy Efficiency and Energy Generation Grants for $5M/yr and $17.5M/yr, respectively
- Sewer Overflow Control Grant Program Reauthorized at $250M/yr., FY21&22
- New Resiliency and Service Connection Grants, $5M/yr. and $20M/yr.
- New Wastewater Infrastructure Discretionary Grants, $50M/yr.
- New Stormwater Infrastructure Technology Centers of Excellence and Demonstration Grants, $5M/yr. and $10M/yr.
- New Wastewater Treatment Plastics and Microplastics Removal Grants, $10M/yr.
Prior to the mark up of the legislation, WEF provided stakeholder comments to the Chair and Ranking Member of the EPW Committee. WEF will continue outreach to both the House and Senate in support of the issues we see as most important to our members.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is expected to work on their version of the legislation shortly.
For text of the Senate bill, click here.
Stay tuned for a “take action” letter on the legislation.
