America Facing Water Funding Shortfall

Op-Ed

We are blessed in this country with a standard of living that includes innovative telecommunication technology, cutting-edge medical science, and limitless recreational opportunities. Despite all of this, it is basic human needs that remain the most important -- things like access to affordable, high-quality drinking water.

It may come as a surprise to learn that, due to aging pipes and systems, our country's drinking water infrastructure was graded a D by the American Society of Civil Engineers on their 2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. This deficiency in our water infrastructure is just one part of an estimated 20-year, $384 billion infrastructure funding shortfall, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In small communities in rural America, where this challenge is particularly acute due to the high per resident cost of the construction and upkeep of drinking water systems, the shortfall is approximately $64 billion.

To give this better perspective, almost 42,000 of America's 52,000 community water systems belong to small communities. If not addressed properly, the already high cost for the construction and maintenance of water systems could grow, with these costs ultimately being passed along to taxpayers and consumers.

To help address these challenges I have introduced H.R. 5659, the "Water Supply Cost Savings Act," also referred to as the "Savings Act." This simple, common sense legislation, if passed, could save taxpayer dollars and work to provide households and rural communities access to affordable, high-quality drinking water.

Specifically, this legislation ensures that both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the EPA provide up-to-date information to entities seeking federal funding on cost-effective, innovative, and alternative drinking water delivery systems, including and importantly, those that are supported by wells. Forty-two million Americans already count on water from wells and millions more rely on community well systems for their drinking water. Providing information on well technology to these small communities could help officials make decisions that save billions of taxpayer dollars over the next two decades and get households the water resources they need.

This bill would also request small communities and not-for-profit organizations that seek federal funding for water delivery systems to certify that they have considered well systems as a possible solution during the evaluation of their water system needs. And finally, after implementation of the "Savings Act," the USDA and EPA would be tasked with reporting back to Congress the cost savings for communities that have utilized alternative and innovative well water systems. To put it simply, this legislation will make it easier for rural America to access and pay for high-quality drinking water.

The "Savings Act," is already gaining attention from leading water industry groups. This week the Water Systems Council, the Water Quality Association, and the National Groundwater Association put out a strong statement endorsing this bill and are actively seeking support for its passage.

Educating rural communities about innovative alternatives, such as wells, to access clean, drinkable water should not be a partisan issue or one that pits our two parties against each another. Over the next few months I will work with other members of Congress, in both parties, to gather support for and pass this bill.

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