I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4069 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for additional 
subsidization assistance to a municipality to carry out on-site wastewater 
treatment system projects, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 22, 2021 
Mr. SUOZZI (for himself and Mr. GARBARINO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to pro-
vide for additional subsidization assistance to a munici-
pality to carry out on-site wastewater treatment system 
projects, 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 ‘‘Septic Upgrade Grant 
Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:09 Jul 09, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4069.IH
H4069
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. WATER POLLUTION CONTROL REVOLVING LOAN 
FUNDS. 
Section 603(i) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1383(i)) is amended— 
(1) by striking paragraph (1)(B) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(B) to implement a program, process, 
material, technique, or technology to— 
‘‘(i) address water-efficiency goals; 
‘‘(ii) address energy-efficiency goals; 
‘‘(iii) mitigate stormwater runoff; 
‘‘(iv) mitigate pollution from from on- 
site wastewater treatment systems; or 
‘‘(v) encourage sustainable project 
planning, design, and construction.’’; 
(2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(3) SUBSIDIZATION AMOUNTS.—A State may 
use for providing additional subsidization in a fiscal 
year under this subsection an amount that does not 
exceed the greater of— 
‘‘(A) 30 percent of the total amount re-
ceived by the State in capitalization grants 
under this title for the fiscal year; or 
‘‘(B) the annual average over the previous 
10 fiscal years of the amounts deposited by the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:09 Jul 09, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4069.IH
H4069
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
State in the State water pollution control re-
volving fund from State moneys that exceed the 
amounts required to be so deposited under sec-
tion 602(b)(2).’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) ADDITIONAL SUBSIDIZATION FOR ON-SITE 
WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(A) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible for 
additional subsidization for an on-site 
wastewater treatment system program 
under paragraph (1)(B)(iv), a municipality 
shall ensure that such program is included 
in a conservation management plan ap-
proved pursuant to any State or local law 
or in a conservation and management plan 
approved pursuant to section 320. 
‘‘(ii) PLAN
CONTENTS.—A plan de-
scribed in clause (i) shall— 
‘‘(I) identify any pollutants of 
concern or water pollution problems 
that threaten public health, drinking 
water, natural resources, or fresh-
water or marine ecosystem recovery; 
and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:09 Jul 09, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4069.IH
H4069
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(II) address how the on-site 
wastewater treatment system program 
described in clause (i) will abate the 
pollutants or water pollution problems 
identified in subclause (I). 
‘‘(iii) PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT.—An 
on-site wastewater treatment system pro-
gram carried out using funds provided 
under this subsection shall be managed by 
a municipality and have enforceable pro-
gram requirements to ensure the long-term 
sustainability of an on-site wastewater 
treatment system, including proper oper-
ation and maintenance of such system. 
‘‘(B) NEW
CONSTRUCTION
NOT
ELIGI-
BLE.—Any on-site wastewater treatment system 
project proposed to be carried out on a new 
construction site shall not be eligible for addi-
tional subsidization pursuant to this subsection. 
‘‘(C) NON-FEDERAL
SHARE.—The non- 
Federal share of the cost of an on-site waste-
water treatment system project carried out 
under this subsection shall be not more than 20 
percent. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:09 Jul 09, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4069.IH
H4069
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(D) PRIORITY.—A State shall prioritize 
awarding additional subsidization under para-
graph (1)(B)(iv) for on-site wastewater treat-
ment system programs that— 
‘‘(i) benefit a financially distressed 
community (as such term is defined in sec-
tion 221(c)); or 
‘‘(ii) are carried out in an area that— 
‘‘(I) is in close proximity to 
threatened or impaired water bodies 
or groundwater; or 
‘‘(II) has groundwater, or surface 
waters used as drinking water where a 
septic system or cesspool is known or 
suspected to be a major source of pol-
lutants. 
‘‘(5) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) NEW
CONSTRUCTION.—The term 
‘new construction’ means the preparation for 
and construction of— 
‘‘(i) a new housing structure on a site; 
or 
‘‘(ii) a significant extension to an ex-
isting housing structure on a site. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:09 Jul 09, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4069.IH
H4069
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) ON-SITE
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT 
SYSTEM
PROGRAM.—The term ‘on-site waste-
water treatment system program’ means a pro-
gram to carry out more than 1 on-site waste-
water treatment system project in a munici-
pality that meets the eligibility criteria under 
paragraph (4)(A). 
‘‘(C) ON-SITE
WASTEWATER
TREATMENT 
SYSTEM
PROJECT.—The term ‘on-site waste-
water treatment system project’ means a 
project that replaces a septic system or cesspool 
serving a single dwelling or small business with 
a wastewater treatment system that reduces ni-
trogen pollution by at least 50 percent, in ac-
cordance with standard 245 developed by the 
National Sanitation Foundation.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:09 Jul 09, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4069.IH
H4069
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS