Senators Introduce Legislation to Address America's Aging Infrastructure
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.), senior members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, have introduced bipartisan legislation to bring affordable relief to America’s crumbling water infrastructure systems. The bill, S. 1137 – Clean, Safe, Reliable Water Infrastructure Act, would amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to expand the availability of resources for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects.
“Our infrastructure needs can’t be a partisan issue, as clean water is key to quality of life and economic development in communities across Arkansas and the nation,” Boozman said. “That’s why Senator Cardin and I have teamed up once again to address the growing needs of our communities in a bipartisan manner. Improving our nation’s wastewater systems and ensuring Americans have access to clean water is something we can all get behind, especially when it is accomplished in a manner that promotes openness, competition and efficiency.”
The U.S. Conference of Mayors found, on average, municipalities spend between 6 to 7 cents of every tax dollar on water and sewer systems. This makes water infrastructure the third-largest expense for cities, after education and emergency personnel. The Clean, Safe, Reliable Water Infrastructure Act works to make this expense more manageable for localities by promoting open competition for contracts for water infrastructure projects, and by committing federal resources to address combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows, and stormwater discharges and their associated health and ecological risks.
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