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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I too rise in support of S. 611, the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act. This legislation will reauthorize funding to nonprofits that provide technical assistance to small public water systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Small and rural water systems face unique challenges. These systems have a smaller rate base, making it difficult to afford necessary upgrades and maintenance, and often lack the expertise to comply with national drinking water standards.
S. 611 will prioritize funding to nonprofits that provide technical assistance to these small public water systems, giving them the needed expertise to tackle these challenges. This is a small but a very important step towards resolving our Nation's drinking water problems.
As we know, aging infrastructure, problems with source water quality, and limited budgets are taking a toll on drinking water systems. The changing climate is creating further challenges. Public water systems are facing extreme conditions that are endangering our drinking water. Severe storms, algal blooms, extreme droughts, and saltwater intrusion are some of the examples of the conditions these systems face, all of which are affecting public water systems' ability to provide safe drinking water to our communities.
Small public water systems rely on technical assistance from nonprofit organizations to navigate everything from routine maintenance to managing these complex situations to ensure that the water that they provide is safe for their consumers.
S. 611 is one step of many that we must take to address our Nation's drinking water issues. Our Nation's water systems serve over 272 million people, and, according to EPA, they require infrastructure investments of $334 billion over the next 17 years.
I look forward to continued bipartisan support for water-related legislation, including reauthorization of the Safe Drinking Water Act and State Revolving Fund, so that we can address the myriad of issues that are facing our drinking water systems.
I would like also to thank Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Ranking Member Tonko and Representative Harper for their work on this important issue.
I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this measure.
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