Unfortunately, this agreed upon version dropped all of the wastewater, drinking water and stormwater provisions. It's a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers only bill. The House and Senate couldn't make the bill budget neutral with the wastewater, drinking water and stormwater provisions included.
WEF had several workforce, stormwater, and resilience provisions in the House and Senate versions of the bill, as well as Clean Water SRF and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) reauthorization.
WEF staff had already spoken to Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee staff about what would happen if they dropped the provisions, and Committee staff said that in 2021, they plan to pick up where they left off and try to negotiate agreements on stand-alone Clean Water (wastewater & stormwater) and Drinking Water bills. Sen. Schumer's (D-NY) office re-affirmed that approach yesterday. They'll either try to pass those bills early in 2021 or roll them into a major infrastructure package.
As with 2020, it'll be critical in 2021 that WEF members be very active in grassroots advocacy to the Hill in support the water provisions be included in an infrastructure package. WEF will be using the WEF Water Advocates program as well as Water Week 2021 outreach.
For more info on this, please see the info below and well as the added links.
Dear Colleague: Proposals for a Water Resources Development Act of 2020: Members' Day Hearing
Dear Colleague: Development of a WRDA 2020
- WRDA 2020 Final House-Senate Agreement Bill Text
- WRDA 2020 Section by Section
- WRDA 2020 Fact Sheet
- Support List for WRDA 2020
https://transportation.house.gov/committee-activity/issue/water-resources-development-act-of-2020
