Amendment to Provide Additional Water to Fifteen Counties in Iowa Passes on House Floor
Today, the House of Representatives approved an amendment offered by Congressman Leonard Boswell which allows the Rathbun Regional Water Association (RRWA) to purchase additional water supply from Rathbun Lake in southeast Iowa, which is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The amendment was offered during consideration of H.R. 1495, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). It is expected that the House will approve WRDA later this evening.
Specifically, the amendment gives the RRWA the right of first refusal to purchase water supply storage from the Corps of Engineers at Rathbun Lake. The right of first refusal means that the water association would have to be notified of any other bids for water storage and then could choose to bid higher in order to purchase the water.
While speaking on the House floor Boswell said, "This amendment is critical to the future availability of a quality drinking water source for farmers, residents and businesses in southern Iowa. Securing the rights to the remaining drinking water pool in Lake Rathbun is critical to meet demand."
RRWA is the largest rural water system in Iowa and one of the largest in the United States. It supplies potable water to 60,000 people in the rural areas of fifteen counties and forty one communities in southeast Iowan and northeast Missouri from the Association's water treatment plant at Rathbun Lake.
"I'm very pleased that the House passed this amendment," added Boswell.