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DRAFT WATER ACT WOULD CALL FOR $10 BILLION PER YEAR
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Funding is one of AGC's Top Legislative Priorities for the 109th Congress. AGC is working with industry partners to introduce a $50 billion dollar, five-year bill to establish a trust fund for water and wastewater infrastructure
Four bills to prop up the already woefully under funded Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds were introduced but failed to get floor consideration last Congress. AGC, along with our partners associations in the Water Infrastructure Network, is crafting legislation to establish a long-term, sustainable method of funding drinking water and clean water infrastructure. We hope to accomplish this before the first tragic health and reliability crisis hits somewhere in our nation.
The draft five-year Water Assistance Trust and Environmental Restoration Fund (WATER) Act would establish a $10 billion dollar per year fund with 75 percent grants and 25 percent loans. Clean Water (wastewater) programs would be funded at $5 billion; Drinking Water programs would be funded at $4 billion with the remaining funds going to technical and demonstration programs, research and small rural system assistance. It would be funded by a 6.6 % fee on the sale price of bottled water, soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits. This fee would not apply to 100% fruit juice, infant formula or milk.
For more information on the Water Infrastructure Network and participating associations, visit www.win-water.org
AGC’s Legislative Priorities for the 109th Congress
- Expand infrastructure investment to promote economic growth;
- Protect and build on the successes of TEA-21 & AIR-21;
- Support expansion of federal drinking water and wastewater funding;
- Support water resources navigation and flood control funding;
- Meet America’s school construction needs;
- Make Tax Cuts Permanent;
- Support changes to tax policies that promote investment, business development, and business expansion;
- Support legislation to increase the availability of health insurance—such as association health plans and malpractice insurance reform;
- Preserve justice and due process for constructors facing litigation;
- Provide construction expertise to support homeland security; and
- Respond to the workforce needs of the industry with effective immigration reform.
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