Emergency Water Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2021

To require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to provide additional assistance for public water systems damaged by Winter Storms Uri and Viola, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Emergency Water Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2021 2. Additional environmental infrastructure authority Section 219(f)(167) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 ( Public Law 102–580 $25,000,000 $47,000,000 3. Safe drinking water infrastructure (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Administrator The term Administrator (2) Eligible State The term eligible State (A) for which the President has declared not fewer than 5 major disasters under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5121 (B) in which public water systems suffered major damage, as determined by the Administrator, from Winter Storms Uri and Viola. (3) Eligible system The term eligible system 42 U.S.C. 300i (4) Public water system The term public water system 42 U.S.C. 300f (b) State revolving loan fund assistance (1) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an eligible system shall be— (A) considered a disadvantaged community for purposes of subsection (d) of section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–12 (B) eligible to receive the additional subsidization described in paragraph (1) of that subsection, including the forgiveness of principal described in that paragraph. (2) Authorization An eligible State may use funds made available under a capitalization grant provided under subsection (c) to provide the additional subsidization described in paragraph (1)(B) to an eligible system within the eligible State to address contaminants in drinking water, which may include the repair and replacement of water distribution system components. (c) Drinking water State revolving funds (1) Appropriation There is appropriated to the Administrator, out of any funds of the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $150,000,000 to provide additional capitalization grants to eligible States pursuant to section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–12 (2) Intended use plans Not later than 30 days after the date on which an eligible State submits to the Administrator a revised intended use plan under section 1452(b) of the Safe Drinking Water Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300j–12(b) (3) Requirement Of the funds provided to an eligible State in a capitalization grant made pursuant to paragraph (1), the eligible State may use not more than 15 percent to provide assistance to an eligible system for the purposes of purchasing and installing new water meters and modernizing billing systems. (d) Nonduplication of work An activity carried out using funds made available under this section shall not duplicate or impede the work of any other Federal or State department or agency. 4. Economic adjustment assistance grants for drinking water infrastructure Of the amounts made available under the heading economic development assistance programs economic development administration Public Law 116–136 economic development assistance programs economic development administration Public Law 116–260

Summary: Emergency Water Infrastructure Improvements Act of 2021 This bill provides financial support for water infrastructure. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency for grants under the drinking water state revolving fund program to address contaminants in drinking water, which may include the repair and replacement of water distribution system components. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Commerce to provide a specified amount of funding to address contaminants in drinking water from unobligated amounts of certain funds provided for economic development assistance programs.