SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) the United States is facing a drinking water 
infrastructure funding crisis; 
(2) the Environmental Protection Agency 
projects 
a 
shortfall 
of 
approximately 
$384,000,000,000 in funding for drinking water in-
frastructure from 2015 to 2035 and this funding 
challenge is particularly acute in rural communities 
in the United States; 
(3) there are approximately 52,000 community 
water systems in the United States, of which nearly 
42,000 are small community water systems; 
(4) the Drinking Water Needs Survey con-
ducted by the Environmental Protection Agency in 
2011 placed the shortfall in drinking water infra-
structure funding for small communities, which con-
sist of 3,300 or fewer persons, at $64,500,000,000; 
(5) small communities often cannot finance the 
construction and maintenance of drinking water sys-
tems because the cost per resident for the invest-
ment would be prohibitively expensive; 
(6) drought conditions have placed significant 
strains on existing surface water supplies; 
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(7) many communities across the United States 
are considering the use of groundwater and commu-
nity well systems to provide drinking water; and 
(8) approximately 42,000,000 people in the 
United States receive drinking water from individual 
wells and millions more rely on community well sys-
tems for drinking water. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that providing rural com-
munities with the knowledge and resources necessary to 
fully use alternative drinking water systems, including 
wells and community well systems, can provide safe and 
affordable drinking water to millions of people in the 
United States. 
SEC. 4. DRINKING WATER TECHNOLOGY CLEARINGHOUSE. 
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture shall— 
(1) update existing programs of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency and the Department of 
Agriculture designed to provide drinking water tech-
nical assistance to include information on cost-effec-
tive, innovative, and alternative drinking water deliv-
ery systems, including systems that are supported by 
wells; and 
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(2) disseminate information on the cost effec-
tiveness of alternative drinking water delivery sys-
tems, including wells and well systems, to commu-
nities and not-for-profit organizations seeking Fed-
eral funding for drinking water systems serving 500 
or fewer persons. 
SEC. 5. WATER SYSTEM ASSESSMENT. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any 
application for a grant or loan from the Federal Govern-
ment or a State that is using Federal assistance for a 
drinking water system serving 500 or fewer persons, a unit 
of local government or not-for-profit organization shall 
self-certify that the unit of local government or organiza-
tion has considered, as an alternative drinking water sup-
ply, drinking water delivery systems sourced by publicly 
owned— 
(1) individual wells; 
(2) shared wells; and 
(3) community wells. 
SEC. 6. REPORT TO CONGRESS. 
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture shall pro-
vide to Congress a report that describes— 
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(1) the use of innovative and alternative drink-
ing water systems described in this Act; 
(2) the range of cost savings for communities 
using innovative and alternative drinking water sys-
tems described in this Act; and 
(3) the use of drinking water technical assist-
ance programs operated by the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary 
of Agriculture. 
Æ 
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