Dear Chair DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger:
The undersigned organizations, representing business, environment, local government, and water sector stakeholders, strongly urge you to fund several key water infrastructure programs authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). These programs were authorized but not provided appropriations in the IIJA and we urge funding as the FY 2023 appropriations process proceeds. Building smart, modern, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure has long been among our top priorities.
We encourage your committee to fund the following issue areas and programs (See Appendix 1 for specific programs of interest):
· Environmental justice: Catalyzing assistance for small, rural, disadvantaged, and underserved communities especially around funding for water infrastructure, affordability, lead pipe replacement, especially schools, technical assistance, and access to technologies to address water quality concerns at the household level. This funding should also include the low-income assistance needs assessment and pilot projects.
· Resilience: Promoting resilience, cybersecurity, and sustainability for water and wastewater systems.
· Technology innovation: Establishing an advanced technology grant program and a pilot for waste-to-energy solutions to drive innovation, lower costs, and improve efficiency.
Our organizations recommend continued full funding for State Revolving Funds and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act and to support standing-up the Water Reuse Interagency Working Group to integrate approaches to public and industrial water recycling.
We again urge your support for important water and resilience funding in the FY23 appropriations, and will follow up with you and your staff to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your leadership.
Sincerely,
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Council of Engineering Companies
BuildStrong Coalition
City Parks Alliance
Ecological Restoration Business Association
International Association of Mechanical and Plumbing Officials
Interstate Council on Water Policy
National Association of Counties
National League of Cities
National Recreation and Park Association
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association
WateReuse Association
Water Quality Association
cc: Members of the House Committee on Appropriations
Appendix 1: Specific Programs of Interest
Environmental Justice
· $35 million for Lead Contamination in School Drinking Water
· $50 million for Operational Sustainability for Small Public Water Systems
· $80 million for Assistance for Small and Disadvantaged Communities
· $5 million for Water Infrastructure and Workforce Investment
· 40 pilot projects to provide financial assistance to low-income water customers
Resilience
· $50 million for Midsize and Large Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program
· $25 million for Clean Water Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program
· $25 million for the Pilot Program for Alternative Water Source Grants
· $280 million for Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grants
Technology Innovation
· $10 million for the Advanced Drinking Water Technologies
· $50 million for a study assessing emerging technologies that could address cybersecurity and water monitoring issues and a grant program to deploy technologies
· $20 million to pilot wastewater efficiency grant program for owners or operators of publicly owned treatment works to carry out projects that create or improve waste-to-energy systems.
· $15 million for a water data sharing pilot.
· A Water Reuse Interagency Workgroup to develop and coordinate actions, tools, and resources to advance water reuse across the U.S., including through the implementation of the February 2020 National Water Reuse Action Plan.
