WASHINGTON, DC - Building off its work to examine drinking water challenges for small and rural communities, the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), has scheduled a legislative hearing for Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, at 10 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Technical Assistance for Rural Water Systems: S. 611, the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Water Systems Assistance Act."
Many smaller rural communities face significant challenges when it comes to maintaining, replacing, or upgrading aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. These communities also rely heavily on federal and state grant loan programs to finance their various needs. Further taxing these small systems, EPA drinking water regulations issued under the Safe Water Drinking Act have become a major financial burden for small and rural drinking water supply systems. S.611, which passed the Senate by Unanimous Consent on June 9, 2015, is the companion to H.R. 2853 - a bill introduced by Subcommittee Vice Chairman Gregg Harper (R-MS).
S. 611 would:
* Reauthorize the EPA program providing technical assistance to small public water systems.
* Authorize EPA to provide technical assistance programs to small public water systems through grants or cooperative agreements made to non-profit organizations.
* Expand the types of activities eligible to receive a grant or cooperative agreement under Safe Drinking Water Act.
Chairman Shimkus and Vice Chairman Harper added, “In Illinois, Mississippi, and across the country, small and rural communities face many challenges, especially when it comes to delivering safe and clean drinking water. Not only do they face disproportionately higher costs per resident when compared to urban areas, but many small communities do not have in-house technical experts that can address small drinking water delivery problems before they become large, costlier ones. We’ll be taking a close look at bipartisan solutions that proactively alleviate drinking water challenges in rural America."
The Majority Memorandum, legislative text, witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.
See Also
* E&C Advances Bill to Boost Drinking Water for Rural America
