Clean Water Advocacy - Newsroom - NACWA in the News
Senate Environment Committee Approves Bill To Authorize $35 Billion for Water Projects
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved legislation (S. 1400) July 20 that would authorize spending $38 billion over five years for grants and other funding for water infrastructure projects.
The bill, approved on a voice vote, would reauthorize federal
spending on state revolving funds (SRFs) to finance water treatment and other
projects under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. It also
would authorize technical assistance for rural and small water treatment works.
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies issued a statement July 20
saying the bill would help close a $23 billion annual funding gap for drinking
water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), who sponsored the bill, said, "In addition to
providing vital new funding for the Clean Water and Drinking Water SRFs, S. 1400
begins to address some of our nation's most difficult water quality concerns."
Chafee said the bill would place "greater emphasis on watershed planning,
assistance for small and disadvantaged communities, and innovation and
technological advancement in the drinking water and clean water fields."
The Senate approved an EPA funding bill for fiscal 2006 July 1 that would
provide $1.1 billion for the clean water SRF and $850 million for the drinking
water SRF (126 DEN A-11, 07/1/05 ).
The committee adopted by voice vote an amendment offered by Sen. Joseph
Lieberman (D-Conn.) that would require projects funded under the legislation to
adhere to provisions in the Davis-Bacon Act mandating that workers in federally
funded projects of more than $2,000 be paid locally prevailing wages.
However, committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said he opposed the amendment
and said it would probably be taken out on the Senate floor.