FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Contact: Madison Wiberg, Madison.Wiberg@mail.house.gov
House Sends Water Resources Infrastructure Bill to Senate with Unanimous Vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the House unanimously passed the bipartisan, bicameral America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. The piece of legislation authorizes locally driven infrastructure improvements to be carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on our harbors, ports, locks, dams, inland waterways, flood protection, and other water infrastructure. The bill also addresses storm water and wastewater infrastructure improvements, reauthorizes and strengthens the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program, and incorporates substantial portions of the Drinking Water System Improvement Act to help modernize the country’s aging drinking water infrastructure.
Rep. Mike Gallagher: “Today we took an important step in modernizing our nation’s water transportation network, including our ports, dams, and inland water ways in Northeast Wisconsin. This bipartisan bill authorizes key water infrastructure projects along the Great Lakes, which will help 8th District manufacturers and agricultural producers stay competitive in the global economy. It also supports local ecosystem restoration projects aimed at protecting Green Bay and Lake Michigan from the threat of invasive species.”
House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA): “Water Resources Development Acts – WRDAs – are critical to building the infrastructure that moves goods, grains, resources, and energy products throughout the entire Nation, from our coasts to the interior, and everywhere in between. WRDA, as included in the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, will ensure that we stay economically competitive with other countries.”
Key Highlights for Northeast Wisconsin:
Provides Community Resources:
· Assists small, rural, Tribal communities and low income households with technical assistance in meeting their clean water needs.
· Provides communities with additional resources for combating sewage over flows.
· Ensures on-the-job training, skills development, and apprenticeships in the water utility sector as well as connecting students to career paths in the water utility sector.
Modernizes Drinking Water Infrastructure:
· Brings greater investment in and modernization of the country’s aging drinking water infrastructure.
· Authorizes more than $4.4 billion over three years for the state drinking water revolving loan fund program.
· Improves accountability by aiding states and utilities with compliance and asset management.
· Protects communities by updating antiterrorism and resilience measures at public water systems.
· Enhances transparency for consumers about the quality of their drinking water
Promotes Fiscal Responsibility:
Fully offsets new authorizations with de-authorizations.
Sunsets inactive project authorizations to prevent future project backlogs.
Reduces the inventory of projects that are not needed for the missions of the Corps.
Click here for more information about the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
