I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5534 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to increase assistance for States, 
water systems, and disadvantaged communities; to encourage good finan-
cial and environmental management of water systems; to strengthen 
the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce the require-
ments of the Act; and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 
Mr. TONKO (for himself and Mr. WAXMAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to increase assist-
ance for States, water systems, and disadvantaged com-
munities; to encourage good financial and environmental 
management of water systems; to strengthen the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce the re-
quirements of the Act; 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS; REF-
ERENCES. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2014’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents; references. 
Sec. 2. Technical assistance for small public water systems. 
Sec. 3. Prevailing wages. 
Sec. 4. Use of funds. 
Sec. 5. Requirements for use of American materials. 
Sec. 6. Data on variances, exemptions, and persistent violations. 
Sec. 7. Assistance for restructuring. 
Sec. 8. Priority and weight of applications. 
Sec. 9. Disadvantaged communities. 
Sec. 10. Administration of State loan funds. 
Sec. 11. State revolving loan funds for American Samoa, Northern Mariana Is-
lands, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. 
Sec. 12. Authorization of appropriations. 
Sec. 13. Affordability of new standards. 
Sec. 14. Focus on lifecycle costs. 
Sec. 15. Enforcement. 
Sec. 16. Presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in sources of 
drinking water. 
Sec. 17. Electronic reporting of compliance monitoring data to the Adminis-
trator. 
Sec. 18. Best practices for administration of State revolving loan fund pro-
grams. 
Sec. 19. Water loss and leak control technology. 
(c) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise specified, 
whenever in this Act an amendment is expressed in terms 
of an amendment to a section or other provision, the ref-
erence shall be considered to be made to a section or other 
provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f 
et seq.). 
SEC. 2. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL PUBLIC 
WATER SYSTEMS. 
Subsection (e) of section 1442 (42 U.S.C. 300j–1(e)) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, directly 
or through grants or cooperative agreements with 
nonprofit organizations, may provide technical as-
sistance to small public water systems to enable such 
systems to achieve and maintain compliance with ap-
plicable national primary drinking water regulations. 
‘‘(2) TYPES OF ASSISTANCE.—Technical assist-
ance under paragraph (1) may include onsite tech-
nical assistance and compliance assistance; circuit- 
rider and multi-State regional technical assistance 
programs; training; assistance with implementing 
source water protection programs; engineering as-
sistance provided without cost to the system through 
volunteer programs or educational programs; assist-
ance with increasing water or energy efficiency; as-
sistance with designing, installing, or operating sus-
tainable energy infrastructure to produce or capture 
sustainable energy on site or through water trans-
port; assistance with developing technical, financial, 
and managerial capacity; assistance with long-term 
infrastructure planning; assistance with applying for 
funds from a State loan fund under section 1452; 
and assistance with implementation of monitoring 
plans, rules, regulations, and water security en-
hancements. 
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‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In providing assistance under 
this subsection, the Administrator shall give priority 
to assistance that will promote compliance with na-
tional primary drinking water standards, public 
health protection, and long-term sustainability of 
small public water systems. In awarding grants and 
cooperative assistance under paragraph (1) to non-
profit organizations, the Administrator shall (subject 
to the preceding sentence) give greater weight to 
nonprofit organizations that, as determined by the 
Administrator, are most qualified and most effective 
and that, as determined by the Administrator using 
information where available, are providing the types 
of technical assistance that are preferred by small 
public water systems. 
‘‘(4) COMPETITIVE
PROCEDURES.—It is the 
presumption of Congress that any award of assist-
ance under this subsection will be awarded using 
competitive procedures based on merit. If assistance 
is awarded under this subsection using procedures 
other than competitive procedures, the Adminis-
trator shall submit to the Congress, within 90 days 
of the award decision, a report explaining why com-
petitive procedures were not used. 
‘‘(5) FUNDING.— 
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‘‘(A) 
AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this subsection $20,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019. 
‘‘(B) PROHIBITION
ON
EARMARKS.—No 
funds made available under this subsection may 
be used to carry out a provision or report lan-
guage included primarily at the request of a 
Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, or 
Senator providing, authorizing, or recom-
mending a specific amount of discretionary 
budget authority, credit authority, or other 
spending authority for a contract, loan, loan 
guarantee, grant, loan authority, or other ex-
penditure with or to an entity, or targeted to a 
specific State, locality, or congressional district, 
other than through a statutory or administra-
tive formula-driven or competitive award proc-
ess. 
‘‘(C) LOBBYING EXPENSES.—No portion of 
any State loan fund established under section 
1452 and no portion of any funds made avail-
able under this subsection may be used for lob-
bying expenses. 
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‘‘(D) 
INDIAN
TRIBES.—Of 
the 
total 
amount made available under this section for 
each fiscal year, 3 percent shall be used for 
technical assistance to public water systems 
owned or operated by Indian Tribes.’’. 
SEC. 3. PREVAILING WAGES. 
Subsection (e) of section 1450 (42 U.S.C. 300j–9) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) LABOR STANDARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall 
take such action as the Administrator determines to 
be necessary to ensure that each laborer and me-
chanic employed by a contractor or subcontractor in 
connection with a construction project financed, in 
whole or in part, by a grant, loan, loan guarantee, 
refinancing, or any other form of financial assistance 
provided under this title (including assistance pro-
vided by a State loan fund established under section 
1452) is paid wages at a rate of not less than the 
wages prevailing for the same type of work on simi-
lar construction in the immediate locality, as deter-
mined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with 
subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United 
States Code. 
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‘‘(2) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF LABOR.— 
With respect to the labor standards specified in this 
subsection, the Secretary of Labor shall have the au-
thority and functions established in Reorganization 
Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (5 U.S.C. App.) and sec-
tion 3145 of title 40, United States Code.’’. 
SEC. 4. USE OF FUNDS. 
Section 1452(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(a)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Except as otherwise’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘Financial assistance under this 
section’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) PERMISSIBLE
EXPENDITURES.—Fi-
nancial assistance under this section’’; 
(3) by striking ‘‘The funds may also be used’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(D) CERTAIN
LOANS.—Financial assist-
ance under this section may also be used’’; 
(4) by striking ‘‘The funds shall not be used’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(E) LIMITATION.—Financial assistance 
under this section shall not be used’’; 
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(5) by striking ‘‘Of the amount credited’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(F) SET-ASIDE.—Of the amount cred-
ited’’; 
(6) in subparagraph (B) (as designated by 
paragraph (2)) by striking ‘‘(not’’ and inserting 
‘‘(including expenditures for planning, design, siting, 
and associated preconstruction activities, for replac-
ing or rehabilitating aging treatment, storage, or 
distribution facilities of public water systems, or for 
producing or capturing sustainable energy on site or 
through the transportation of water through the 
public water system, but not’’; and 
(7) by inserting after such subparagraph (B) 
the following: 
‘‘(C) SALE OF BONDS.—If a State issues 
revenue or general obligation bonds to provide 
all or part of the State contribution required by 
subsection (e), and the proceeds of the sale of 
such bonds will be deposited into the State loan 
fund— 
‘‘(i) financial assistance made avail-
able under this section may be used by the 
State as security for payment of the prin-
cipal and interest on such bonds; and 
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‘‘(ii) interest earnings of the State 
loan fund may be used by the State as rev-
enue for payment of the principal and in-
terest on such bonds.’’. 
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR USE OF AMERICAN MATE-
RIALS. 
Section 1452(a) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(a)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS FOR USE OF AMERICAN 
MATERIALS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, none of the funds made 
available by a State loan fund as authorized 
under this section may be used for a project for 
the construction, alteration, maintenance, or re-
pair of a public water system unless all of the 
iron and steel products used in such project are 
produced in the United States. 
‘‘(B) APPLICATION.—Subparagraph (A) 
shall not apply in any case in which the Admin-
istrator (in consultation with the Governor of 
the State) finds that— 
‘‘(i) applying subparagraph (A) would 
be inconsistent with the public interest; 
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‘‘(ii) iron and steel products are not 
produced in the United States in sufficient 
and reasonably available quantities and of 
a satisfactory quality; or 
‘‘(iii) inclusion of iron and steel prod-
ucts produced in the United States will in-
crease the cost of the overall project by 
more than 25 percent. 
‘‘(C) WAIVER.—If the Administrator re-
ceives a request for a waiver under this section, 
the Administrator shall— 
‘‘(i) make available to the public, on 
an informal basis, a copy of the request 
and information available to the Adminis-
trator concerning the request; 
‘‘(ii) make the request and accom-
panying information available by electronic 
means, including on the official public 
Internet site of the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency; and 
‘‘(iii) allow for informal public input 
on the request for at least 15 days prior to 
making a finding based on the request. 
‘‘(D) CONSISTENCY WITH INTERNATIONAL 
AGREEMENTS.—This paragraph shall be applied 
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in a manner consistent with United States obli-
gations under international agreements. 
‘‘(E) DEFINITION
OF
IRON
AND
STEEL 
PRODUCTS.—In this paragraph, the term ‘iron 
and steel products’ means the following prod-
ucts made primarily of iron or steel: lined or 
unlined pipes and fittings, manhole covers and 
other municipal castings, hydrants, tanks, 
flanges, pipe clamps and restraints, valves, 
structural steel, reinforced precast concrete, 
and construction materials.’’. 
SEC. 6. DATA ON VARIANCES, EXEMPTIONS, AND PER-
SISTENT VIOLATIONS. 
Section 1452(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(b)(2)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) a list of all water systems within the 
State that have in effect an exemption or vari-
ance for any national primary drinking water 
regulation or that are in persistent violation of 
the requirements for any maximum contami-
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nant level or treatment technique under a na-
tional primary drinking water regulation, in-
cluding identification of— 
‘‘(i) the national primary drinking 
water regulation in question for each such 
exemption, variance, or violation; and 
‘‘(ii) the date on which the exemption 
or variance came into effect or the viola-
tion began.’’. 
SEC. 7. ASSISTANCE FOR RESTRUCTURING. 
(a) DEFINITION.—Section 1401 (42 U.S.C. 300f) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(17) RESTRUCTURING.—The term ‘restruc-
turing’ means changes in operations (including own-
ership, management, cooperative partnerships, joint 
purchasing arrangements, consolidation, and alter-
native water supply).’’. 
(b) 
RESTRUCTURING.—Clause 
(ii) 
of 
section 
1452(a)(3)(B) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(a)(3)(B)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘changes in operations (including ownership, 
management, accounting, rates, maintenance, consolida-
tion, alternative water supply, or other procedures)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘restructuring’’. 
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SEC. 8. PRIORITY AND WEIGHT OF APPLICATIONS. 
(a) PRIORITY.—Section 1452(b)(3) (42 U.S.C. 300j– 
12(b)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(B) in clause (iii), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(iv) improve the ability of systems to 
protect human health and comply with the 
requirements of this title affordably in the 
future.’’; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as sub-
paragraph (D); 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(B) AFFORDABILITY
OF
NEW
STAND-
ARDS.—For any year in which enforcement be-
gins for a new national primary drinking water 
standard, each State that has entered into a 
capitalization agreement pursuant to this sec-
tion shall evaluate whether capital improve-
ments required to meet the standard are afford-
able for disadvantaged communities in the 
State. If the State finds that such capital im-
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provements do not meet affordability criteria 
for disadvantaged communities in the State, the 
State’s intended use plan shall provide that pri-
ority for the use of funds for such year be given 
to public water systems affected by the stand-
ard and serving disadvantaged communities. 
‘‘(C) WEIGHT GIVEN TO APPLICATIONS.— 
After determining priority under subparagraphs 
(A) and (B), an intended use plan shall provide 
that the State will give greater weight to an ap-
plication for assistance if the application con-
tains— 
‘‘(i) a description of measures under-
taken by the system to improve the man-
agement and financial stability of the sys-
tem, which may include— 
‘‘(I) an inventory of assets, in-
cluding a description of the condition 
of the assets; 
‘‘(II) a schedule for replacement 
of assets; 
‘‘(III) an audit of water losses; 
‘‘(IV) a financing plan that fac-
tors in all lifecycle costs indicating 
sources of revenue from ratepayers, 
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grants, bonds, other loans, and other 
sources to meet the costs; and 
‘‘(V) a review of options for re-
structuring; 
‘‘(ii) a demonstration of consistency 
with State, regional, and municipal water-
shed plans; 
‘‘(iii) a water conservation plan con-
sistent with guidelines developed for such 
plans by the Administrator under section 
1455(a); and 
‘‘(iv) a description of measures under-
taken by the system to improve the effi-
ciency of the system or reduce the system’s 
environmental impact, which may in-
clude— 
‘‘(I) water efficiency or conserva-
tion, including the rehabilitation or re-
placement of existing leaking pipes; 
‘‘(II) use of reclaimed water; 
‘‘(III) actions to increase energy 
efficiency; 
‘‘(IV) actions to generate or cap-
ture sustainable energy on site or 
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through the transportation of water 
through the system; 
‘‘(V) actions to protect source 
water; 
‘‘(VI) actions to mitigate or pre-
vent corrosion, including design, selec-
tion of materials, selection of coating, 
and cathodic protection; and 
‘‘(VII) actions to reduce disinfec-
tion byproducts.’’; and 
(4) in subparagraph (D) (as redesignated by 
paragraph (2)) by striking ‘‘periodically’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘at least biennially’’. 
(b) GUIDANCE.—Section 1452 (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (r) as sub-
section (t); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (q) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(r) SMALL SYSTEM GUIDANCE.—The Administrator 
may provide guidance and, as appropriate, tools, meth-
odologies, or computer software, to assist small systems 
in undertaking measures to improve the management, fi-
nancial stability, and efficiency of the system or reduce 
the system’s environmental impact.’’. 
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SEC. 9. DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. 
(a) ASSISTANCE TO INCREASE COMPLIANCE.—Sec-
tion 1452(b)(3) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(b)(3)), as amended, 
is further amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) ASSISTANCE TO INCREASE COMPLI-
ANCE.—A State’s intended use plan shall pro-
vide that, of the funds received by the State 
through a capitalization grant under this sec-
tion for a fiscal year, the State will, to the ex-
tent that there are sufficient eligible project ap-
plications, reserve not less than 6 percent to be 
spent on assistance under subsection (d) to 
public water systems included in the State’s 
most recent list under paragraph (2)(D).’’. 
(b) ASSISTANCE
FOR
DISADVANTAGED
COMMU-
NITIES.—Section 1452(d) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(d)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end the 
following: ‘‘Such additional subsidization shall di-
rectly and primarily benefit the disadvantaged com-
munity.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, or portion 
of a service area,’’ after ‘‘service area’’. 
(c) AFFORDABILITY CRITERIA.—Section 1452(d)(3) 
is amended by adding at the end: ‘‘Each State that has 
entered into a capitalization agreement pursuant to this 
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section shall, in establishing affordability criteria, con-
sider, solicit public comment on, and include as appro-
priate— 
‘‘(A) the methods or criteria that the State 
will use to identify disadvantaged communities; 
‘‘(B) a description of the institutional, reg-
ulatory, financial, tax, or legal factors at the 
Federal, State, or local level that affect identi-
fied affordability criteria; and 
‘‘(C) a description of how the State will 
use the authorities and resources under this 
subsection to assist communities meeting the 
identified criteria.’’. 
SEC. 10. ADMINISTRATION OF STATE LOAN FUNDS. 
Section 1452(g) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(g)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘up 
to 4 percent of the funds allotted to the State 
under this section’’ and inserting ‘‘, for each 
fiscal year, an amount that does not exceed the 
sum of the amount of any fees collected by the 
State for use in covering reasonable costs of ad-
ministration of programs under this section, re-
gardless of the source, and an amount equal to 
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tion or section 601 of the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act. 
‘‘(B) STATE
MATCHING
FUNDS.—Funds 
reserved under this paragraph shall not be con-
sidered for purposes of calculating the amount 
of a State contribution required by subsection 
(e) of this section or section 602(b) of the Fed-
eral Water Pollution Control Act.’’. 
SEC. 11. STATE REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS FOR AMERICAN 
SAMOA, 
NORTHERN 
MARIANA 
ISLANDS, 
GUAM, AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. 
Section 1452(j) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(j)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘0.33 percent’’ and inserting ‘‘1 percent’’. 
SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Subsection (m) of section 1452 (42 U.S.C. 300j–12) 
is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(m) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section— 
‘‘(A) $1,200,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; 
‘‘(B) $1,400,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; 
and 
‘‘(C) $1,600,000,000 for fiscal year 2017. 
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‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts made available 
pursuant to this subsection shall remain available 
until expended. 
‘‘(3) RESERVATION FOR NEEDS SURVEYS.—Of 
the amount made available under paragraph (1) to 
carry out this section for a fiscal year, the Adminis-
trator may reserve not more than $1,000,000 per 
year to pay the costs of conducting needs surveys 
under subsection (h).’’. 
SEC. 13. AFFORDABILITY OF NEW STANDARDS. 
(a) TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR SMALL PUBLIC 
WATER SYSTEMS.—Clause (ii) of section 1412(b)(4)(E) 
(42 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)(4)(E)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: ‘‘If no technology, treatment technique, 
or other means is included in a list under this subpara-
graph for a category of small public water systems, the 
Administrator shall periodically review the list and supple-
ment it when new technology becomes available.’’. 
(b) ASSISTANCE
FOR
DISADVANTAGED
COMMU-
NITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subparagraph (E) of section 
1452(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 300j–12(a)(1)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘except that the Adminis-
trator may reserve’’ and inserting ‘‘except 
that— 
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‘‘(i) in any year in which enforcement 
of a new national primary drinking water 
standard begins, the Administrator may 
use the remaining amount to make grants 
to States whose public water systems are 
disproportionately affected by the new 
standard for the provision of assistance 
under subsection (d) to such public water 
systems; 
‘‘(ii) the Administrator may reserve’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘and none of the funds re-
allotted’’ and inserting ‘‘; and 
‘‘(iii) none of the funds reallotted’’. 
(2) ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS.— 
(A) Section 1412(b) (42 U.S.C. 300g– 
1(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (15). 
(B) Section 1415 (42 U.S.C. 300g–4) is 
amended by striking subsection (e). 
(3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subparagraph 
(B) of section 1414(c)(1) (42 U.S.C. 300g– 
3(c)(1)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘(a)(2), or (e)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘or (a)(2)’’. 
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SEC. 14. FOCUS ON LIFECYCLE COSTS. 
Section 1412(b)(4) (42 U.S.C. 300g–1(b)(4)) is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘taking 
cost into consideration’’ and inserting ‘‘taking 
lifecycle costs, including maintenance, replacement, 
and avoided costs, into consideration’’; and 
(2) in the matter preceding subclause (I) in 
subparagraph (E)(ii), by inserting ‘‘taking lifecycle 
costs, including maintenance, replacement, and 
avoided costs, into consideration,’’ after ‘‘as deter-
mined by the Administrator in consultation with the 
States,’’. 
SEC. 15. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) ADVICE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Section 
1414 (42 U.S.C. 300g–3) is amended— 
(1) in the matter following clause (ii) in sub-
section (a)(1)(A), by striking ‘‘and provide such ad-
vice and technical assistance to such State and pub-
lic water system as may be appropriate to bring the 
system into compliance with the requirement by the 
earliest feasible time’’; and 
(2) in subsection (a)(1), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(C) At any time after providing notice of a violation 
to a State and public water system under subparagraph 
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(A), the Administrator may provide such advice and tech-
nical assistance to such State and public water system as 
may be appropriate to bring the system into compliance 
with the requirement by the earliest feasible time. In de-
ciding whether the provision of advice or technical assist-
ance is appropriate, the Administrator may consider the 
potential for the violation to result in serious adverse ef-
fects to human health, whether the violation has occurred 
continuously or frequently, and the effectiveness of past 
technical assistance efforts.’’. 
(b) ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 1414 (42 U.S.C. 
300g–3) is amended— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
subsections 
(d) 
through (i) as subsections (e) through (j), re-
spectively; and 
(B) by inserting after subsection (c) the 
following: 
‘‘(d) ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS FOLLOWING VIOLA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator shall, 
by regulation, and after consultation with the States, 
prescribe the number, frequency, and type of addi-
tional inspections to follow any violation requiring 
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notice under subsection (c). Regulations under this 
subsection shall— 
‘‘(A) take into account— 
‘‘(i) differences between violations 
that are intermittent or infrequent and vio-
lations that are continuous or frequent; 
‘‘(ii) the seriousness of any potential 
adverse health effects that may be in-
volved; and 
‘‘(iii) the number and severity of past 
violations by the public water system; and 
‘‘(B) specify procedures for inspections fol-
lowing a violation by a public water system that 
has the potential to have serious adverse effects 
on human health as a result of short-term expo-
sure. 
‘‘(2) STATE PRIMARY ENFORCEMENT RESPONSI-
BILITY.—Nothing in this subsection shall be con-
strued or applied to modify the requirements of sec-
tion 1413.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) Subsections (a)(1)(B), (a)(2)(A), and 
(b) of section 1414 (42 U.S.C. 300g–3) are 
amended by striking ‘‘subsection (g)’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘subsection (h)’’. 
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(B) Section 1448(a) is amended by strik-
ing 
‘‘1414(g)(3)(B)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘1414(h)(3)(B)’’. 
SEC. 16. PRESENCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PERSONAL 
CARE PRODUCTS IN SOURCES OF DRINKING 
WATER. 
Subsection (a) of section 1442 (42 U.S.C. 300j–1) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(11) PRESENCE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AND PER-
SONAL CARE PRODUCTS
IN SOURCES
OF DRINKING 
WATER.— 
‘‘(A) STUDY.—The Administrator shall carry 
out a study on the presence of pharmaceuticals and 
personal care products in sources of drinking water, 
which shall— 
‘‘(i) identify pharmaceuticals and personal 
care products that have been detected in 
sources of drinking water and the levels at 
which such pharmaceuticals and personal care 
products have been detected; 
‘‘(ii) identify the sources of pharma-
ceuticals and personal care products in sources 
of drinking water, including point sources and 
nonpoint sources of pharmaceutical and per-
sonal care products; 
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‘‘(iii) identify the effects of such products 
on humans, the environment, and the safety of 
drinking water; and 
‘‘(iv) identify methods to control, limit, 
treat, or prevent the presence of such products. 
‘‘(B) CONSULTATION.—The Administrator shall 
conduct the study described in subparagraph (A) in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (acting through the Commissioner 
of Food and Drugs), the Director of the United 
States Geological Survey, the heads of other appro-
priate Federal agencies (including the National In-
stitute of Environmental Health Sciences), and other 
interested stakeholders (including manufacturers of 
pharmaceuticals and personal care products and 
consumer groups and advocates). 
‘‘(C) REPORT.—Not later than 4 years after 
the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the Ad-
ministrator shall submit to the Congress a report on 
the results of the study carried out under this para-
graph. 
‘‘(D) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) The term ‘personal care product’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘cosmetic’ in section 
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201 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic 
Act. 
‘‘(ii) The term ‘pharmaceutical’ has the 
meaning given the term ‘drug’ in section 201 of 
the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.’’. 
SEC. 17. ELECTRONIC REPORTING OF COMPLIANCE MONI-
TORING DATA TO THE ADMINISTRATOR. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Section 1414 (42 U.S.C. 300g– 
3), as amended, is further amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(k) ELECTRONIC
REPORTING
OF
COMPLIANCE 
MONITORING DATA TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.—The Ad-
ministrator shall by rule establish requirements for— 
‘‘(1) electronic submission by public water sys-
tems of all compliance monitoring data— 
‘‘(A) to the Administrator; or 
‘‘(B) with respect to public water systems 
in a State which has primary enforcement re-
sponsibility under section 1413, to such State; 
and 
‘‘(2) electronic submission to the Administrator 
by each State which has primary enforcement re-
sponsibility under section 1413 of all compliance 
monitoring data submitted to such State by public 
water systems pursuant to paragraph (1)(B).’’. 
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(b) FINAL RULE.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency shall issue a final 
rule to carry out section 1414(k) of the Safe Drinking 
Water Act, as added by subsection (a). 
SEC. 18. BEST PRACTICES FOR ADMINISTRATION OF STATE 
REVOLVING LOAN FUND PROGRAMS. 
Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 
U.S.C. 300j–12) is amended by inserting after subsection 
(r), as added by section 8(b), the following: 
‘‘(s) BEST PRACTICES FOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRA-
TION.—The Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) collect information from States on admin-
istration of State programs with respect to State 
loan funds, including— 
‘‘(A) efforts to streamline the process for 
applying for assistance through such programs; 
‘‘(B) programs in place to assist with the 
completion of application forms; 
‘‘(C) incentives provided to systems that 
partner with small public water systems for the 
application process; and 
‘‘(D) techniques to ensure that obligated 
balances are liquidated in a timely fashion; 
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‘‘(2) not later than 3 years after the date of en-
actment of the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability 
Act of 2014, disseminate to the States best practices 
for administration of such programs, based on the 
information collected pursuant to this subsection; 
and 
‘‘(3) periodically update such best practices, as 
appropriate.’’. 
SEC. 19. WATER LOSS AND LEAK CONTROL TECHNOLOGY. 
Part E of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 
300j et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 1459. WATER LOSS AND LEAK CONTROL TECH-
NOLOGY. 
‘‘The Administrator shall— 
‘‘(1) not later than 5 years after the date of en-
actment of the Assistance, Quality, and Affordability 
Act of 2014, develop criteria for effective water loss 
and leak control technology to be used by water sys-
tems; and 
‘‘(2) implement a program through which a 
manufacturer of such technology may apply, on a 
voluntary basis, for certification of compliance with 
such criteria.’’. 
Æ 
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