I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6727 
To establish an innovative water technology grant program and to amend 
the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act to encourage the use of emerging and innovative water technology, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 
Ms. MOORE (for herself, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. AL GREEN of 
Texas, and Mr. GALLEGO) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Natural Re-
sources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish an innovative water technology grant program 
and to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act and the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act to encourage the 
use of emerging and innovative water technology, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Water Technology Ac-
celeration Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. INNOVATIVE WATER TECHNOLOGY GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a publicly owned treatment works (as 
defined in section 212 of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act); 
(B) a public water system (as defined in 
section 1401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act); 
(C) a unit of local government, including a 
joint powers authority; 
(D) an institution of higher education or 
other research institution; 
(E) a State; 
(F) an entity representing a regional, 
multi-State collaboration among entities de-
scribed in this paragraph; or 
(G) any other appropriate entity, including 
a nonprofit organization, a farmer, or a manu-
facturer, as determined by the Administrator. 
(b) GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Adminis-
trator shall carry out a grant program for the purposes 
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described in subsection (c) to accelerate the development 
of emerging or innovative water technologies that address 
pressing water challenges. 
(c) GRANTS.— 
(1) TECHNOLOGIES.—In carrying out the pro-
gram under subsection (b), the Administrator shall 
make grants to eligible entities to support emerging 
or innovative technologies that, as determined by the 
Administrator— 
(A) improve the water quality of a drink-
ing water source; 
(B) improve the security of a drinking 
water delivery system and the safety of the 
drinking water; 
(C) minimize contamination of drinking 
water and drinking water sources, including 
contamination by lead, bacteria, chlorides, and 
nitrates; 
(D) improve the quality and timeliness and 
decrease the cost of drinking water quality 
tests, especially technologies that can be de-
ployed within drinking water delivery systems 
and at individual faucets to provide accurate 
real-time tests of water quality, especially with 
respect to lead, bacteria, and nitrate content; 
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(A) finance projects to develop, deploy, 
test, or improve emerging or innovative water 
technologies described in paragraph (1); or 
(B) provide technical assistance to deploy 
emerging or innovative water technologies de-
scribed in paragraph (1) more broadly, espe-
cially— 
(i) to increase adoption of such 
emerging or innovative water technologies 
in— 
(I) municipal drinking water and 
wastewater treatment systems; 
(II) areas served by private wells; 
or 
(III) water supply systems in 
arid areas that are experiencing, or 
have recently experienced, prolonged 
drought conditions; and 
(ii) in a manner that reduces rate-
payer or community costs over time, in-
cluding the cost of future capital invest-
ments. 
(d) PRIORITY FUNDING.—In making grants under 
this section, the Administrator shall give priority to eligi-
ble entities for activities that— 
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(1) have the potential— 
(A) to significantly improve human health 
or the environment; 
(B) to provide additional water supplies 
with minimal environmental impact; or 
(C) to provide substantial cost savings 
across a sector; or 
(2) are located in States that have prioritized 
the use of State water pollution control and drinking 
water revolving fund resources pursuant to the 
amendments made by sections 3 and 4 of this Act 
to support the deployment of emerging or innovative 
water technologies described in subsection (c)(1). 
(e) COST-SHARING.—The Federal share of the cost 
of activities carried out using a grant under this section 
shall be not more than 65 percent. 
(f) LIMITATION.—The maximum amount of a grant 
under this section shall be $5,000,000. 
(g) REPORT.—Each year, the Administrator shall 
submit to Congress, and make publicly available on the 
website of the Administrator, a report that describes any 
advancements during the previous year in the development 
of emerging or innovative water technologies made as a 
result of funding provided under this section. 
(h) FUNDING.— 
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(1) INITIAL FUNDING.—Out of any funds in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the Secretary 
of the Treasury shall transfer to the Administrator 
to provide grants to eligible entities under this sec-
tion $10,000,000, to remain available until ex-
pended. 
(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this section $100,000,000 for each fiscal year. 
SEC. 3. INNOVATION IN DRINKING WATER STATE REVOLV-
ING LOAN FUNDS. 
Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
U.S.C. 300j–12) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) 
IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding’’; 
and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) INNOVATIVE WATER TECHNOLOGY.— 
In the case of any additional subsidization pro-
vided pursuant to subparagraph (A) to carry 
out a project to deploy an emerging or innova-
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tive water technology described in section 
2(c)(1) of the Water Technology Acceleration 
Act (including technologies to improve water 
treatment to ensure compliance with this title 
and technologies to identify and mitigate 
sources of drinking water contamination, in-
cluding lead contamination), any provided for-
giveness of principal may not exceed an amount 
equal to 50 percent of the cost of the portion 
of the project associated with the emerging or 
innovative water technology.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘For each fiscal year’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For each fiscal year’’; 
and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) INNOVATIVE WATER TECHNOLOGY.— 
For each fiscal year, of the loan subsidies made 
by a State pursuant to paragraph (1), not more 
than 20 percent may be used to provide addi-
tional subsidization described in subparagraph 
(B) of that paragraph.’’; and 
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(C) in paragraph (3), in the first sentence, 
by inserting ‘‘, or portion of a service area,’’ 
after ‘‘service area’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(s) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Administrator 
may provide technical assistance to facilitate and encour-
age the provision of financial assistance for the deploy-
ment of emerging or innovative water technologies de-
scribed in section 2(c)(1) of the Water Technology Accel-
eration Act. 
‘‘(t) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of the Water Technology Acceleration Act, 
and not less frequently than every 5 years thereafter, the 
Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that de-
scribes— 
‘‘(1) the amount of financial assistance pro-
vided by State loan funds to deploy emerging or in-
novative water technologies described in section 
2(c)(1) of such Act; 
‘‘(2) the barriers preventing greater use of such 
emerging or innovative water technologies; and 
‘‘(3) the cost-saving potential to cities and fu-
ture infrastructure investments from such emerging 
or innovative water technologies.’’. 
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SEC. 4. INNOVATION IN STATE WATER POLLUTION CON-
TROL REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 603(i)(1)(B) of the Fed-
eral 
Water 
Pollution 
Control 
Act 
(33 
U.S.C. 
1383(i)(1)(B)) is amended, in the matter preceding clause 
(i), by inserting ‘‘(including emerging or innovative water 
technologies described in section 2(c)(1) of the Water 
Technology Acceleration Act)’’ after ‘‘or technology’’. 
(b) INNOVATIVE WATER TECHNOLOGIES.—Section 
603 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1383) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(j) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Administrator 
may provide technical assistance to facilitate and encour-
age the provision of financial assistance for the deploy-
ment of emerging or innovative water technologies de-
scribed in section 2(c)(1) of the Water Technology Accel-
eration Act. 
‘‘(k) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of the Water Technology Acceleration Act, 
and not less frequently than every 5 years thereafter, the 
Administrator shall submit to Congress a report that de-
scribes— 
‘‘(1) the amount of financial assistance pro-
vided by State water pollution control revolving 
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funds to deploy emerging or innovative water tech-
nologies described in section 2(c)(1) of such Act; 
‘‘(2) the barriers preventing greater use of such 
emerging or innovative water technologies; and 
‘‘(3) the cost-saving potential to cities and fu-
ture infrastructure investments from such emerging 
or innovative water technologies.’’. 
Æ 
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