On August 17, WEF sent a letter to the the Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Chair and Ranking Member of the U.S. House of RepresentativesTransportation and Infrastructure Committee regarding the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020.
This recent letter addressed the need for increased funding and financing resources
to help communities and utilities to assess, repair, replace, and maintain the aging
drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure that protects public
health and the environment, as well as is the bedrock for local economic growth.
The importance of maintaining and improving aging water infrastructure is even
further evident during the COVID-19 crisis as communities and utilities face
funding shortfalls and the need for clean and reliable sanitation is vital in
attempts to stay healthy in this pandemic.
The letter also expressed a desire for the final WRDA agreement to
provide a significant boost in resources to help tackle our national infrastructure
needs, as well as make significant headway towards future challenges, such as
stormwater management, climate change resilience, and workforce shortages.
Earlier this year, WEF provided stakeholder endorsement letters for S. 3591 and H.R. 1497 which detailed specific policy and funding recommendations for provisions in those bills, many of which are still relevant for the WRDA conference negotiations.
Both the House and Senate versions of the bill have been passed in their respective chambers, so now it is up to the conference committee to work out the details and smooth out the differences. WEF sent this letter to ensure our voice is heard during this process.
Here is a copy of WEF's stakeholder comments letter.
